Guardians of the Earth and the Moon
by Sailor Donut
Summary: This is the story of the Silver Millennium, told through the eyes not of Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion, but of those closest to them—the Sailor Soldiers and the Shitennou.
1. Prologue

Synopsis: This is the story of the Silver Millennium, told through the eyes not of Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion, but of those closest to them—the Sailor Soldiers and the Shitennou. (PGSM live action universe)

Foreword: I began this fanfiction just over two years ago, when _Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon _was nearing the end of its run. It had been my hope that I would complete the fic before publishing it to the internet; however, life took over and the fic remained unfinished. I finally decided to type it and post it, with the hopes that doing so may inspire me to finish it.

This fic was begun before the Special Act took place; therefore, you'll find Queen Serenity is absent (as viewers of the show may recall, _Princess_ Serenity was referred to as the ruler of the Moon Kingdom up until the Special Act). With the exception of this, I have done my best to stay as true to the series as possible. It is my hopes that this fanfiction could serve as an accurate representation of what might have happened in the past life, and that it will tie up any loose ends about the Silver Millennium that the series itself left open.

Disclaimer: _Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon_ and all related characters, items, and events are property of Naoko Takeuchi and Toei. No copyright infringement is intended, and this is a non-profit fanfiction.

**Guardians of the Earth and the Moon**

**Prologue**

It has been said that fate can't be changed. One's destiny is set out before them, determined by the actions that one has taken in the past. But how far in the past must one look to find the source of destiny? Perhaps even further back than even one's own life itself…

So then, could everything that has happened now be preordained by an event in the distant past? So long ago that history itself has forgotten it? During a time when life itself existed in places that modern humans could never have thought it possible...

Ten thousand years ago, the universe was quite different than it is now. The planets of the Solar System were not cold orbs of ice and rock. They teemed with abundant life, guided by the light of the radiant Silver Crystal. Eight of the planets were banded together under the leadership of Moon Kingdom, where they formed a union that symbolized peace for over a thousand years. It was known as the Silver Millennium.

The ninth planet, however, a small green and blue orb known as Earth, was not a member of this great alliance. The Earthlings, selfish and power hungry, distrusted the Moon Kingdom. Earthlings were forbidden to have any contact with beings from the other worlds; in return, citizens of the Moon Kingdom avoided the people of Earth. Such is how it was for centuries.

This all changed, however, when the beautiful Princess Serenity, ruler of the Moon Kingdom, fell in love with the headstrong Prince of the Earth, Endymion. Their forbidden love set into motion a series of events that changed the destiny of the universe forever.

They two, however, were not the only players in the story…


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One  
Anticipation**

It was a breezy spring afternoon on the Kingdom of Earth. The sun shone cheerfully upon a gleaming palace, and the scent of flowers drifted through the air. On the surface, it seemed a peaceful day. Within the palace, however, turmoil was brewing.

"Master, I beseech of you, reconsider this," a thin young man with silver hair and pale blue eyes was saying. He was Zoisite, second-in-command of the Shitennou: the four closest companions of Endymion, Prince of the Earth. He and the Prince were having a heated discussion in the midst of Zoisite's private study. "Your frivolous notions could spell doom for this entire world!"

Endymion chuckled. "Don't you think you're overreacting just a bit?" he commented. "It's just a party."

Zoisite sighed. "Master, it's not _just_ a party," he corrected, his voice heavy with meaning. "It's a celebration of the one thousandth anniversary of the Moon Kingdom, our most hated enemies! You attending this event could cause an upheaval amongst the populace!"

"I don't see why that would be so," Endymion countered. "Why shouldn't the people be happy? My marriage to Serenity will put an end to a cold war that's lasted centuries. The people should celebrate, not revolt!"

Zoisite shook his head. "It isn't that simple, Master. _You_ are a friend of change; you see things differently than others. Generations of people on this world have been born, raised, lived out their lives believing that the Moon Kingdom is evil, untrustworthy. If you suddenly expect them to change their lifestyles simply because you wish them to, trouble could arise."

"You're being paranoid, Zoisite," Endymion said.

"Am I, Master?" Zoisite sighed heavily. "Would you change your opinion if I were to tell you that I, too, am wary of these Moon People?"

"I guessed that much," Endymion said with a grin. "I'm sure that you'll get over that once you've gotten to know them like I've gotten to know Serenity."

"I doubt I'll want to know them_ that_ well, Master."

Endymion laughed. "You'll see, Zoisite. Besides, the other Shitennou don't share your apprehension."

"Nephrite does," Zoisite replied.

"Nephrite is unnaturally stubborn," Endymion softly said, his expression darkening momentarily. "It worries me." He looked up. "But Kunzite is very supportive of the notion, as is Jadeite. You will be, too, once you've spent a few days in the Moon Kingdom."

"Very well, Master," Zoisite reluctantly agreed. Endymion smiled at him, and, turning, strode from the room. Frowning, Zoisite seated himself at his prized piano and began absentmindedly playing a soft melody.

_Will it be up to me, then, to make sure that things do not get out of hand here on Earth? The Master has lost sight of everything save the Moon Princess. The desires of the people will become skewed to him._

He began playing louder and faster as his thoughts continued. _Kunzite's loyalty to the Master is ever unrelenting…but his heart is far too big for its own good. His ability to see goodness in others could lead to his own undoing, as well as Master Endymion's. As for Jadeite—he is still too young and optimistic…_

The music built upon itself, reaching a crescendo. _Nephrite worries me as he worries the Master. It's not so much his stubbornness as it is his foul temper. The slightest thing sends him into a rage. I'll have to keep an eye on him to ensure he stays out of trouble when we're in the Moon Kingdom. _

The music died, and Zoisite lifted his hands from the piano keys. _I hope Master Endymion knows what he's gotten himself into. It will be up to me to keep a level head in order to deal with any trouble that may arise from his headstrong behavior._

Flourishing his cape, Zoisite rose from the piano and strode out of the room.

* * *

"I still don't see why we _all_ have to go," Nephrite complained. The tallest of the four Shitennou, although the second youngest, he had flaming red hair and icy blue eyes. He was currently striding across a field to meet Endymion, along with Kunzite, the eldest and leader of the Shitennou.

"Nephrite, it's our honor and duty to protect the Master under all circumstances," Kunzite reprimanded. "Even if it means that we must do something we do not wish to."

Inside, Nephrite snarled at Kunzite's chastisement. He was always going on about honor and duty, and Nephrite was growing weary of his speeches. Aloud, however, Nephrite merely muttered a grudging acknowledgment; he wasn't in the mood for an argument. Nephrite had only the highest respect for the Master, as did all the Shitennou; this was why he was so deeply shocked by Endymion's reckless behavior in dealing with the Moon Kingdom. Nephrite could hardly believe his Master's blind trust of these aliens. All the people of the Earth had been warned since birth of the threat of the Moon People. They were a barbaric race, who desired to make the Earth part of their empire, to control the Earthlings as they did the rest of the universe. For centuries, it had been the responsibility of the royal family to protect the Earth from the threat of the Moon Kingdom, yet Endymion was simply surrendering to them without a fight.

_It's that Moon Vixen's fault_, Nephrite thought bitterly. _He is so besotted with her that he isn't thinking clearly._ He frowned. _Her beauty must be great to have enchanted the Master so. Or else her spells are extremely potent._

Endymion was waiting for them in the middle of a field, with Zoisite and Jadeite at his side. "Master, how exactly are we going to get to the Moon?" Jadeite, the youngest of the Shitennou, was asking.

"Ah, Serenity is going to use the power of the Crystal to teleport us," Endymion answered casually.

"The Crystal?"

"The Mystical Silver Crystal," Endymion explained. "It's what gives the Moon Kingdom its power."

_A crystal?_ Nephrite considered. _Perhaps it was not her beauty that seduced the master, but the magic of this Crystal._

"How will the Princess know when to transport us?" asked Jadeite enthusiastically.

Endymion laughed at Jadeite's excitement. Jadeite, a few years Endymion's junior, was to the Prince like a younger brother. "There's no way she can see us from the Moon…at least, I don't think there is," Endymion admitted. "She just told me the exact time and place to be at."

Jadeite smiled and nodded, trying to calm his nerves. He and the other four Earth men would be spending an entire month in the mysterious Moon Kingdom. He would finally be seeing the Princess that he had heard so much about, whom none but Endymion and Kunzite had met. _They say she's come to Earth many times before in secret, _he thought. _I wonder if I've seen her before and didn't realize it!_ He thought back on the past several months, but he'd seen so many courtiers that he couldn't decide for sure who she might be. _I wonder if Moon People look different than us,_ he wondered. _Probably not, if the Princess was able to come here and not be noticed._

"I think it's almost time," Endymion said, interrupting Jadeite's thoughts.

"We'd best get into position," Kunzite instructed. The five men stood in a circle, with Zoisite and Kunzite on either side of Endymion, with Nephrite to Zoisite's left and Jadeite to Kunzite's right.

"Are you excited, Nephrite?" Jadeite asked.

Nephrite forced a little smile. "Excited isn't the word for it."

Zoisite cast a glance at Nephrite. _As I thought, he's as opposed to this as I am. I can count on him to aid me in protecting the Master. _He frowned, looking at Jadeite. _He, on the other hand, is far too excited about this trip. He and Kunzite will undoubtedly be the easiest for the Moon People to bewitch. Kunzite is strong…but he is too easygoing when it comes to these matters._

While he pondered this, a flash of light shot from the Moon that was hovering in the sky above. It was so quick that none would see it unless they were looking for it; but on the ground, Endymion and the Shitennou suddenly became bathed in light, which became brighter and brighter until it was unbearable to look at—and then, they were gone.

Within a matter of seconds, the light died down again, and the five found themselves standing in a fragrant garden, filled with exquisite foliage. To their right stood a gazebo; behind it was a beautiful, deep blue lake, and beyond the lake loomed a magnificent palace.

"Welcome," a female voice behind them said, "To the Moon Kingdom."

The men turned to see a beautiful young woman with long, braided black hair. She wore a long white gown, and there was a golden crescent moon emblem on her forehead. She was flanked on either side by four stony-faced women, who were wearing short uniforms trimmed with red, blue, yellow, and green, respectively.

Endymion's face broke out in a smile. "Serenity," he said, stepping forward with his arms extended. "It's wonderful to see you."

She embraced him, smiling back. "Endymion, I have missed you greatly."

Endymion took her arm and turned to face the Shitennou. "These are my companions. You know Kunzite already."

Kunzite bowed, and Serenity warmly nodded. "I hope you've been well, Kunzite," she said.

"Quite, your highness," he replied. Zoisite's brow quirked at the Princess being addressed so respectfully by one of the Earth Prince's generals, but he remained silent.

"The others are Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite," Endymion was continuing. They bowed, although Jadeite was the only one to do so enthusiastically.

Serenity nodded at each of them, and gestured to the women in uniform. "These are my closest friends and guardians, the Senshi. Sailor Venus," she said, gesturing to a blonde woman clad in yellow and navy blue— "Sailor Jupiter," indicating the tallest of the four women, who was standing to Venus' right, trimmed with green and pink— "Sailor Mars," turning to the dark haired woman in red— "And Sailor Mercury."

Kunzite felt his blood begin to run faster as he turned his eye upon the final Senshi. Her entire self emanated blue. Kunzite found himself captivated by her vibrant blue aura. Mercury, noticing his gaze, smiled shyly and looked away.

"I really hope you all enjoy the time you spend in our kingdom," Serenity was saying, smiling invitingly. "We've prepared a suite of rooms in the Palace in anticipation of your arrival. I hope that you'll find them to be comfortable."

"I'm sure that they're just fine," Endymion said warmly. Serenity slipped her hand once more into the crook of his elbow, and the two began to walk leisurely in the direction of the Palace, followed silently by the Shitennou and the Senshi.

Jadeite looked around in amazement. _This place is incredible, _he thought. _But what's even more amazing is that it looks an awful lot like the Earth. _He turned his head to look at the castle that was looming before them. _Especially the Palace._

Zoisite trudged reluctantly along with the party. _This place seems a bit too perfect to me,_ _and so does that Princess. It is as I feared_, he thought dismally._ Princess Serenity's beauty is unrivaled. How will I convince the Master that this place is dangerous when we are surrounded by such loveliness?_

Kunzite, however, seemed not to notice the Moon Princess' beauty, but rather was captivated by that of her blue-haired guardian, Sailor Mercury. He couldn't take his eyes off her, even for an instant. She moved with sheer dignity and grace; and she seemed to wear her heart on her sleeve, showing the universe the purity and innocence that resided beneath her shy exterior. He admired such honesty.

_I'm only here to protect the Master, _Kunzite reminded himself. Yet, he knew deep in his heart that if he were to see too much of this girl during his month in the Moon Kingdom, it could prove to be problematic to his mission…


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two  
Pride and Prejudice**

"I simply can't believe this," Sailor Venus said, bursting through the doors of the Senshi's private meeting room. "How could the Princess allow those…those…_men_ to come here?"

"But they seem nice," Sailor Mercury put in, closing the doors after Sailors Jupiter and Mars entered.

"'Nice'?" Sailor Venus repeated. "Mercury, whether they're 'nice' or not is irrelevant. For centuries, the Earth has stood as an enemy to our alliance. The Princess bringing those Earth men here can only mean trouble."

"Princess Serenity doesn't seem to think so," Sailor Jupiter countered thoughtfully. "We've always been able to trust the Princess' judgment before…"

"That may be so," Venus said, folding her arms and looking down. "But I want the four of us to be on our guards constantly. There is _nothing_ more important than protecting the Princess."

The other Senshi nodded their agreement, and Venus dismissed them. Sailor Mars, however, lingered behind. "Minako," she said after a moment, turning to face Sailor Venus. "Are you positive that the Earthlings bring trouble?"

"Absolutely," Venus emphasized. "Their presence could bring disaster to the entire Alliance."

"But the Princess has such faith that Earth can peacefully enter the union through her marriage to Endymion…"

Venus stared hard at Mars, her expression stony. "Rei, what did you sense from them?" she asked.

Sailor Mars thought back on their meeting. She had strong spiritual powers, and possessed the ability to read the auras of others, a gift that was unique to her people of her homeworld. "I sensed no animosity from Endymion whatsoever, nor from the leader of his companions, Kunzite. Jadeite seemed absolutely ecstatic to be here. But the other two…"

"Yes, the other two," Venus repeated. "Zoisite and Nephrite. I don't trust them, not one bit."

"True, they don't seem to be overly pleased with this entire state of affairs," Mars said. "Not that we feel too differently, but they seemed hostile towards _us_, which is definitely not a good thing." She paused and thought. "However…the Princess told us to show them around and make them feel comfortable. What should we do about that?"

"By all means, we should obey the Princess' orders," Venus said. She smiled slightly. "But let's not make them feel _too_ comfortable."

* * *

"So, my friend," Endymion said as he walked alongside Kunzite the following morning. "What do you think of the Moon Kingdom so far?"

Kunzite smiled. "Well, Master, I have only been here one day, so I cannot say anything for sure." He thought back on Sailor Mercury. "But what I've seen of it is beautiful."

Endymion chuckled. "I'm glad you think so."

A flash of light on the other side of a nearby hill caught Kunzite's attention. "What was that?" he asked, pointing.

"Ah, I think Serenity said that she was watching the Senshi's training session over there," Endymion remarked.

"That should be interesting," Kunzite said.

"Let's go join them then," Endymion suggested. They began to walk in the direction that they had seen the light in. "Too bad Zoisite isn't around," Endymion added. "I'm sure he'd enjoy this sort of thing."

As they reached the top of the hill, however, they saw that Zoisite was already there, standing behind Serenity, his arms folded and his cape billowing in the wind. Serenity was grinning and clapping, but Zoisite did not look overly impressed.

When Endymion and Kunzite drew closer, they could hear Serenity's excited giggle. "Great job, Makoto!" she cried, clapping her hands. "Whose turn is it, now?"

"Mine," Endymion said, covering her eyes with his hands.

"Oh, Endymion!" Serenity cried, turning to face him and wriggling out of his grasp, a wide smile on her face. "And Kunzite! What a pleasant surprise." She gestured to Zoisite, who had snapped to attention upon noticing his Master and his commanding officer arrive. "Zoisite has been watching us for several minutes now, but he hasn't told us what he thinks yet."

Zoisite smiled mildly. "Words cannot adequately express my opinion, Princess," he said.

Sailor Venus' eyebrow quirked at this. She turned to Serenity. "Majesty, since the Prince is here, perhaps we should all show him our skill."

Serenity nodded enthusiastically. "That sounds good, Minako!" she bubbled. She turned to Endymion. "They all have amazing talent; I'm jealous."

Sailor Venus smiled and curtsied slightly, then gestured to four posts standing quite some distance away. Atop the posts were strange blue apple-like fruits, which she indicated to the spectators that they should watch. Stepping up to the other Senshi, she said, "Ready?"

The Senshi stood poised, and, moving as one in a single fluid motion, they pointed at the posts, brightly colored beams of light shooting from their fingertips. In an instant, all four of the blue fruits toppled from the posts, neatly sliced in half.

"That's incredible!" Endymion exclaimed after a moment. "Such precision! How did you learn to do that?"

"As chosen Senshi, we were born with these powers," Sailor Jupiter explained, smiling proudly. "We've been training all our lives to learn to use them properly."

Sailor Venus frowned internally, not sure if she approved of that information being divulged. Before she could ponder it further, however, Zoisite interrupted.

"Yes, that's all very nice," he said. "If your enemy is fruit."

"Excuse me?" Venus spoke up before anyone could intervene.

"I'm simply saying, if that's your strongest attack…"

Something about his words inflamed Venus. His cocky attitude truly grated on her. "This training session was about _precision_ attacks," she spat. "If you want _strength_…" She quickly removed the chain of heavy amber-colored beads from around her waist and flung one end of it in the direction of the posts. Glowing brightly, the chain extended and wrapped itself around the end of one of the poles. As Venus swiftly tugged, the heavy wooden post dislodged itself from the ground, revealing almost two feet of muddy wood that had been driven into the ground.

"Bravo, Minako!" Serenity cried, clapping her hands once more. "You moved that heavy thing with one arm! I had no idea you were so strong."

"Yes, yes, you'll be well protected against apples and logs," Zoisite said snidely, staring straight at Venus, as if no one else was around. "But against enemies that actually move, I think the Shitennou's training sessions are more functional." Zoisite turned to Kunzite, who was standing beside Endymion and looking at Sailor Mercury. "Kunzite, if you would?"

"Here?" Kunzite asked in surprise, his attention momentarily diverted from the blue warrior.

"Just to give the Senshi a taste of our skill," Zoisite added.

Kunzite blushed lightly in embarrassment. "Very well," he said, drawing his long, straight sword. Zoisite, in turn, pulled out a shorter, curved sword. In an instant, the two of them were engaged, lunging and parrying, stabbing and deflecting, their long capes swirling around them, as if the whole thing were a well-choreographed dance. The Senshi watched in awe, and Endymion swelled with pride. "They're so good," Serenity whispered to him, astonishment noticeable in her voice. The only one who didn't seem pleased by this exhibition was Sailor Venus. She watched the display with her arms crossed, and a scowl on her face that only grew deeper.

"That's enough!" Endymion said after a moment, stopping Zoisite and Kunzite. He clapped his hand on Zoisite's shoulder. "I think you've proven your point, my friend."

Zoisite, placing his hand on his chest, bowed. "As you wish, Master." He straightened, and, sending one last dagger look in Venus' direction, said, "I shall take my leave of you." With that, he turned and departed, his cloak billowing in the wind as he strode.

Glaring after him, Venus said to the other Senshi, "I think that's enough training for today."

Mars smiled and approached her friend. "He showed you," she whispered with a soft giggle.

"That man's arrogance is unrivaled," Venus replied coldly. She held up her amber chain and added, "I wanted to hit _him_ with this, not the post." Mars laughed aloud, and the two started on their way, followed closely by the others. They had only walked a few steps, however, when Kunzite detained Mercury.

"Your powers are quite extraordinary, Sailor Mercury," he said to her.

Mercury smiled back brightly. "Thank you!" she replied. "But please…" She waved her right hand over a gauntlet on her left arm, and in a flash of bright light, a different girl stood before him. Her hair was no longer short and blue, but long and black, partially pulled up. She wore a knee-length white dress instead of her Senshi uniform, but her bright smile remained unchanged. "Call me Ami," she finished.

Kunzite stared in shock for a moment, his mouth partially open, but he quickly shook himself out of it. He laughed. "All right then, _Ami_."

She laughed as well. "I forgot to tell you about our transformations," she said. "We transform in order to fully enhance our powers. This is how I look most of the time."

Kunzite nodded, his face growing warm. Endymion watched the two for a moment, and smiled. "I know, Kunzite," he said. "Why don't you have Ami show you around the kingdom?"

Kunzite felt his embarrassment growing. _Please, Master_, he thought, but turned to Ami nonetheless. "Would you mind?" he asked her.

She grinned. "Not at all!" she said. "I'd be glad to!"

The two walked off, leaving Serenity and Endymion watching. "Kunzite seems to be getting along splendidly here," Serenity observed.

"I knew he would," Endymion agreed. "I'm sorry about Zoisite's behavior, though."

"Don't be," Serenity chided. "Minako was doing it, too. They just all need to get adjusted. Some will be easier than others, like Kunzite and Ami. But don't worry, Endymion. It will all work out just fine." She smiled up at him, and Endymion immediately felt his heart grow lighter.

* * *

The following afternoon found the four Senshi carrying wicker baskets into the vast orchards of the Moon Kingdom, each wearing a lightweight sundress to match her special color, and sunbonnets trimmed with matching ribbons. Talking amongst themselves, they plucked the blue apple-like fruits, which ripened twice a year—in the spring and the fall.

"Prince Endymion has hardly left the Princess' side these past three days," Rei commented, tossing a handful of fruit gently into a nearby basket.

"They certainly are fond of each other," Makoto said, gathering the fruits in her light green skirt.

"I'm happy for her," Ami said, absentmindedly taking a bite out of one of the fruits. "They all seem like lovely gentlemen."

"Minako would disagree with you there," Rei teased with a laugh.

Minako, who had been silent the entire time, looked up. "I don't trust any of them," she said coldly. "Not a single one."

The other girls laughed. "Is it that you distrust them, or are you just put out by Zoisite showing you up yesterday?" Rei asked, trying to stifle a giggle. Minako frowned, but chose to ignore Rei's comment.

When they'd finished laughing, Makoto spoke up. "But, in all honesty, what is _with_ him? He has a seriously bad attitude."

"The others seem nice," Ami said. "I'm sure he'll come around."

"The others indeed," Makoto repeated, quirking an eyebrow. "Especially that Kunzite. He and you were together all day yesterday, Ami."

Ami blushed and looked down. "I was just showing him around," she shyly explained. "He's very nice, and we want to make our guests feel comfortable, right?"

"Don't make him feel _too_ comfortable, Ami," Rei said. "Or else the Princess and Endymion will be having a double wedding!" She and Makoto erupted into uncontrollable laughter.

"It's not like that at all!" Ami protested, but she couldn't be heard over the sounds of the other two's hysterical giggles.

Minako gritted her teeth. "That's enough!" she snapped. "And I don't want to hear any more talk of weddings!"

Rei and Makoto quickly brought their laughter to a halt. Gasping for breath and rubbing a tear of mirth from her eye, Makoto said, "Yes, ma'am."

They finished clearing the fruit from the nearby trees, and picked up their baskets to begin moving to a new grove. It was then that Rei, thinking out loud, said, "What about that fourth one, Nephrite? He's been rather quiet, hasn't he? I haven't seen him around."

"I don't think he's very social," Ami said. "Kunzite says he didn't really want to come here."

_Well, he's not wanted here, anyway,_ Minako thought wryly.

The four young women rounded a corner and stopped in their tracks. "Speak of the devil," Makoto said under her breath. Seated at the base of a tree at the far end of the orchard, with his back up against the tree's trunk, was Nephrite. His head was down, and there was no one else nearby to be seen. Ami watched him, and felt a twang of sympathy. She was naturally a shy person herself, and she could feel a certain familiarity in the loneliness of his figure.

Ami smiled a little, her heart going out to him. "I feel bad for him," she said. "All alone like that."

"It's not our fault if he's antisocial," Makoto said.

Ami shook her head. "I think he may just be shy," she said, still looking at Nephrite. "I want to go cheer him up." She started to walk towards him.

"Ami, wait, I wouldn't," Minako started to say, but Ami continued nonetheless.

Nephrite was sitting in the shade of the large fruit tree, enjoying the solitude. Kunzite, Jadeite, and the Master could not stop praising the marvelous Moon Kingdom, and their enthusiasm was grating on his nerves. Zoisite, on the other hand, had been in a fearful temper since the previous afternoon, and his mood had only grown darker. Nephrite was grateful to get away, where he could relax in this deserted orchard. With no one around to remind him, he could almost forget that he was in this hateful place.

"Hi," a female voice said, startling Nephrite. He opened his eyes and looked up. A girl in a pale blue sundress, wearing sandals and a sunbonnet trimmed in blue ribbon, stood in front of him, smiling broadly. "Why are you sitting here all by yourself?" she asked.

Nephrite stared unabashedly at her for a few moments, then burst out, "Who are _you_?"

The girl giggled. "Oh, sorry." She squatted down to be on eye level with him, and tilted her bonnet back. "I'm Sailor Mercury."

He blinked. "You look different."

She smiled. "This is how I usually look," she said. "By the way, you can call me 'Ami'." She sat down, her legs curled to the side of herself. "So, why are you sitting alone?"

Nephrite blinked once more. Something about her open outgoingness bothered him, as did her smiling face and the sheer cotton of her dress. It made his heart pound faster, and he had to remind himself of the alluring power that these Moon vixens had. If the Master had fallen for their wiles, then he surely would stand no chance unless he kept his guard up at all times.

"Well, _Ami_," Nephrite said, a bitter tone in his voice. "I'm sitting here alone because I want to _be_ alone."

Ami recoiled at his harsh words. "I'm just trying to be friendly! You're a guest in our kingdom!"

"Well, maybe I don't _want_ to be," Nephrite snapped back.

Ami could feel tears welling up in her eyes, and she fought to keep them back. "Fine!" she exclaimed, quickly getting to her feet and running off, not wanting him to see her cry.

Nephrite watched her go, feeling a strange hollowness building in his chest. She was so beautiful, even when she was angry—she almost had a glow about her. _It's a good thing I got rid of her when I did_, he thought. _If she had stayed any longer, she may have sunk her claws into me the way her Princess did to the Master._ Although, he wondered if it was too late; the girl's presence had had a strong effect on him. _It will subside_, he told himself. _But I have to get the Master out of here before we all succumb to these Moon women's charms._

"Here comes Ami," Minako said, looking up from her basket.

"She's crying!" Rei exclaimed, dropping her basket.

"Ami, what's wrong?" Makoto asked when Ami drew nearer.

"It's nothing," Ami replied, running right past them.

Makoto whirled on her heel. "Why, that…" she growled. "What did that man say to her?" she demanded. "I'll show him…"

"Makoto, no!" Minako exclaimed, grabbing the tall woman's arm. "As much as I'd love to…" She took a deep breath. "But we can't just have a brawl. It would break the Princess' heart."

Makoto drew in her breath. "I suppose you're right," she admitted. "But Endymion will hear of this."

"Oh, he will," Minako agreed. "I can assure you of that."

* * *

Ami ran until her side felt as though it would split, but she didn't care. She needed to get as far away as she could, to her special place. A secluded area of the Moon Kingdom, surrounded by immense weeping willows, and in the center of which lay a deep cerulean pond, dotted with stepping-stones. Here, amongst the beauty and peace of nature, Ami felt the most at home.

She settled on the soft grass beside the pond and, trailing her fingers in the cool water, at last opened up and cried. _I need to pull myself together,_ she thought after a few moments. _There's no reason his words should upset me so._ Reflexively, however, the image of his wide, deep blue eyes, so full of loneliness resurfaced in her mind, and her heart ached. She had so longed to know him, to drive the loneliness from his eyes…but why? She didn't even know him!

"Ami?" a gentle voice asked. Ami looked up and saw Kunzite step through a part in the willow's drapery.

"Kunzite," she said, forcing a brave smile for her friend.

He knelt beside her. "What's wrong?" he asked, taking her hand and drawing her up into a sitting position.

Ami sniffled. "It's nothing," she said weakly.

Kunzite smiled and brushed a tear from her cheek. "You can't lie to me after all this time. After all, we've known each other for two days now."

Ami laughed at his joke. Feeling a bit better, she drew her knees into her chest. "To tell you the truth," she said, her voice barely audible, "I just had words with one of your companions, that's all."

Kunzite's face grew serious. "Which one?" he asked, sternness evident in his voice.

"Nephrite."

Kunzite frowned. _I knew it would either be him or Zoisite,_ he thought grimly. "I'll talk to him about it," he said.

Ami's eyes widened. "No, Kunzite, please," she protested. "I don't want to cause any trouble!"

Kunzite smiled reassuringly. "You could never be the cause of trouble," he said. He helped her to her feet. "Now, dry your eyes, and put all thoughts of this affair out of your mind."

Ami sniffled and nodded. "Kunzite...thank you," she said, smiling. "You're a good friend to me."

Kunzite beamed at her words. Somehow, seeing her smile at him like that brought a wholeness to his soul.

* * *

"I just can't understand why you would do such a thing, Nephrite!" Endymion's voice rang out. "Serenity's court has been talking of nothing else but of how the Earth Prince's companion insulted the most beloved of the Sailor Senshi. What were you thinking?"

Nephrite stood partially bowing, his hand across his chest in a position of submission. Behind Endymion, the other three Shitennou watched, stony-faced. Even Jadeite, Nephrite's closest friend, could say nothing in his defense. "I'm sorry, Master," he said quietly, looking down at the floor,

Endymion sighed. "This is supposed to be a mission of peace, to unite the Earth and Moon Kingdoms. Yet all I heard today was, '_Nephrite made Sailor Mercury, the Flower of the Court, cry._' That most certainly won't be of any help to our cause!"

Nephrite remained silent. Kunzite frowned. While he disliked seeing his comrade reprimanded so, he could not forget the pain he had seen in Ami's eyes–the pain that Nephrite had put there.

Endymion relented a little, seeing Nephrite's chagrined expression. "Please, Nephrite...just try to use a little more tact in the future."

"Yes, Master," Nephrite replied, remaining bowed. Smiling slightly, Endymion turned and left the room, followed closely by Kunzite. Jadeite caught Nephrite's eye and gave him a sympathetic look, but Nephrite's expression told him that he'd rather be left alone. Jadeite, too, followed Endymion out of the room, but Zoisite remained.

"Nephrite," he began when the others were gone. "I can't say that I entirely disagree with what you did. I also distrust these Moon people. I think that, for the Master's own good, we should try to get him away from them as soon as possible." He paused. "However, for our own best interests, I think we had better be careful about whom we insult from now on." Nephrite said nothing, and continued to stare at the floor. Zoisite waited a moment, sighed, and then departed.

Endymion's words echoed in Nephrite's head, making him feel continually worse. _"The Earth Prince's companion insulted the most beloved of the Sailor Senshi...Nephrite made Sailor Mercury, the 'Flower of the Court,' cry..."_

_Is she really that well loved by the people of the Moon?_ Nephrite wondered. He swallowed hard, remembering Ami's bright, open expression and her wide smile. Even more painful was the memory of her hurt expression, the tears welling up in her eyes when he had cut her down with his words.

Nephrite took in a ragged breath. _I can't let my guard down_, he reminded himself. _These Moon people are just trying to deceive me._ But his thoughts could not combat the growing feeling of remorse in the pit of his stomach. He could not help feeling as though he had made a terrible mistake. After all, how could someone who had looked at him with such open, honest eyes possibly be trying to deceive him? 'Flower of the Court,' she was called; the most beloved of the Sailor Senshi. Being so honored–wouldn't that mean that she was truly a good-hearted person, if her own kind admired her so? Or was it all just a trick?

The thought was still puzzling Nephrite the next day. Alone, he wandered the halls of the Moon Palace, lost in thought. As he passed, servants and courtiers pointed. He noticed their stares, but chose to ignore them. Part of him felt belligerent; who were they to mock him? But, more strongly, he was becoming convinced of his own error, and the feeling was not pleasant.

He paused in the middle of a sunny breezeway, and, leaning against the railing, looked out over the palace grounds. He could see the four Senshi, who were all sitting on the grass doing something with ribbons. They laughed, and Nephrite noticed that Ami's laughter rang loudest and clearest of the four; when she was happy, her face shone with pure bliss.

Nephrite sighed heavily and hung his head. _I don't even understand what's going on anymore,_ he thought with aggravation. _Maybe...maybe I was wrong. Maybe she wasn't trying to deceive me, after all..._

"It's not too late, you know," a female voice rang out from behind him. Nephrite turned with a start to see Princess Serenity. She smiled warmly. "To be friends with Ami, that is," she continued.

"Princess!" Nephrite exclaimed in shock.

"You'll find that Ami is very forgiving. She values friendship over anything, and always does her very best to make people happy." Serenity stepped forward to stand beside Nephrite, and looked out over her friends as they laughed. "I understand how hard this must be. We've all been raised to hate one another, and now that's supposed to change." She looked at Nephrite. "Endymion and I honestly believe that it can work, and that the Earth and Moon Kingdoms can live together in friendship. But we're going to have to work together to achieve it. That's what Ami was trying to do yesterday."

Nephrite looked down, considering Serenity's words. _Is it really possible that the Earth and the Moon can forget their differences?_ he wondered. _The Master thinks so... _He remembered Ami's words as she stormed away. _"I'm just trying to be friendly!"_ Nephrite flinched at the memory. _I suppose I was too hard on her._

"Is there something on your mind?" Serenity asked, interrupting Nephrite's thoughts.

"No, I just..." Nephrite began hastily. "...I was just...wondering what the Senshi were doing."

Serenity smiled knowingly. "They're making decorations for the Millennium Ball," she said, turning to depart. "It's to be held in a few days' time. I hope you will consider joining the celebration. It would please both Endymion and I, as well as the others, to be sure. Good day." With that, Serenity continued on her way down the breezeway.

Nephrite watched her go, then turned his attention back to the Senshi. "Perhaps," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Perhaps I was wrong about the Princess...among other things."

* * *

On Earth, the sun was going down, and a young woman with curly red-brown hair was making her way through the palace grounds, in search of anyone who could give her the information she required. She was clad in a long dress, with a black, off-the-shoulder bodice designed to enhance her already naturally gifted assets. The full, tan skirt swished as she walked in her cat-like gait.

On the path in front of her stood a soldier seemingly high in rank. _Not as high up as the Shitennou, of course,_ the woman thought, but he would do.

"Excuse me!" the woman called out in an unnaturally sweet voice.

The soldier looked up and bowed upon seeing her approach. "Lady Beryl, it is an honor," he said.

"Good evening," Beryl intoned in her saccharine voice. "Pardon me for asking, but have you seen Prince Endymion about?"

"His majesty is away, my lady," the soldier replied.

Beryl furrowed her eyebrows. "Away?" she repeated. "He never told me that he was going away. Where did he go?"

"None but those closest to him know for sure, my lady," the soldier explained. "All that we were told was that he would be away and would be unable to be reached."

Beryl's face fell. "I see," she said, the sweetness disappearing slightly from her voice. "Did he say when he would be returning?"

"One month's time, my lady."

Beryl nodded. "Thank you," she said curtly, turning on her heel and striding away. _I just don't understand_, she thought sourly as she walked. _I thought I had him right where I wanted him. _She smirked. _Oh, well. No matter. I shall simply resume where I left off when Endymion returns._ Her smile grew. _No other shall have Endymion. I am best suited for him–and_ _all that comes with him._ She struggled to contain her mirth. _I shall be Queen of the Earth!_


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three  
The Millennium Ball**

Night had fallen on the Moon Kingdom, and the Earth hung in the sky, an immense blue and green orb, casting a celestial light over the Moon Palace. Inside the palace's great hall, however, it was as bright as day, and filled to the brim with happy, chattering guests. At last, the night of the Millennium Ball had arrived, and subjects from all over the solar system flooded the room for the celebration.

Apart from the others, Nephrite stood in the shadows and watched. Ami was standing with Kunzite, somewhat away from the other Senshi, and the two of them were talking and laughing. Watching her, Nephrite felt an icy hand clamp over his heart. Ignoring it, he decided that if he could get Ami away from Kunzite, he would talk to her as Serenity had suggested.

His chance arose when Endymion, standing several feet away from Serenity, beckoned to Kunzite. Bowing to Ami, Kunzite took his leave of her and joined the Earth Prince. _It's now or never,_ Nephrite thought anxiously. Swallowing hard, he approached Ami. "Excuse me, miss?" he began.

Ami turned to face him. "Nephrite!" she cried in surprise.

Nephrite bowed deeply, avoiding eye contact with her. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior the other day. I was abrupt and rude, unnecessarily." There. He had said it. He still wasn't really sure _why_ he had said it, but it was done.

"It's all right," Ami replied warmly. Nephrite looked up in surprise to see her smiling brightly down at him. "We're all still trying to adjust to this new situation," she continued, "So I can't exactly blame you for being a little tense."

Nephrite's jaw dropped, and he straightened up. "You mean to say...you forgive me? Just like that?"

"Of course!" Ami answered. "That's the most important rule of friendship, isn't it?" She grinned. "We all make mistakes, but if we didn't forgive each other, all we'd wind up with would be a bunch of angry people."

Nephrite stared at her. _She says it so easily, like it's nothing, _he thought in awe. _So many people would have held it against me for the rest of my life, but not her..._ A strange feeling began to grow inside his stomach, a feeling of...admiration? And something Nephrite was unfamiliar with. A small voice inside him spoke up, reminding him of the treachery of the Moon people, but he silenced it. How could he distrust her, after she showed him such honesty and forgiveness? Clearly, the legends that the Earth people had been taught about the Moon people were wrong...

Ami tilted her head to the side and looked at him. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh, no, not at all," Nephrite replied hastily, his mind feeling numb. He distantly heard the sound of music, and noticed couples spinning across the floor. "Would you like to dance?" he asked before he realized what he was saying.

"Of course!" Ami replied. "But I have to help Serenity with the opening ceremony first. As soon as that's finished, though, I'll save the first dance for you."

Nephrite smiled and nodded, feeling a bit overwhelmed. _What's come over me?_ He wondered.

Still smiling, Ami turned and headed to the front of the ballroom where Serenity and the other three Senshi were standing. Inside, she was glowing. _I can't believe it!_ she thought. _He apologized to me, of his own free will! __**And**__ he asked me to dance!_ She could feel her cheeks growing warm. _What's the matter with me, anyway?_ _Why do I care so much?_ She thought again of his deep blue eyes, however, and felt herself blush even more. _I wonder if Kunzite said anything to him,_ she thought. _If he did, I shall have to thank him!_

Serenity looked at Ami's happy expression and congratulated herself internally. Her little talk with Nephrite had paid off, and now both he and Ami looked so happy! _I knew that the Earth and the Moon people could resolve their differences,_ she thought. _I just know that Endymion and I getting married will be the best thing for everyone!_

The music faded out, and all eyes in the ballroom turned to the front, where Serenity was stepping up to a podium. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you all for attending tonight. This celebration marks one thousand years of the Moon Kingdom's rule. One thousand years of galactic peace: the Silver Millennium."

The audience applauded; all, that is, except for Zoisite, who stood with his arms crossed. He glanced over at Nephrite, who was politely clapping. _This can't be possible_, he thought with dismay. _These enchantresses have even spun their spell on Nephrite?_

"And, of course, we owe a great deal of these accomplishments to the Sailor Senshi, who have always protected us so bravely," Serenity continued. She gestured to the girls on either side of her, each wearing a long white ballgown. "Princess Minako, of Venus; Princess Makoto, of Jupiter; Princess Rei, of Mars; and Princess Ami, of Mercury..."

Nephrite's heart stopped at this, and he heard Serenity's voice no more. _A princess? _he thought in shock. _She's a __**princess**__?_ His knees felt weak, and he staggered out of the ballroom onto the adjacent balcony, holding the railing for support. Nephrite had made a terrible miscalculation–he had assumed that the Senshi were like the Shitennou: not of royal blood, but rather simple vassals. While they _were_ of noble blood, they were on an entirely different level than the Senshi. _And I spoke to her so informally, so disrespectfully...so ignorantly!_ Nephrite thought in disgust. Taking a deep breath, he looked at the Earth hovering in the night sky, as the reality of it all sank in. _This was a mistake,_ he thought. _I don't belong here. I should have known it from the start._

_

* * *

_

Back inside the ballroom, Serenity had finished her speech. When the applause had died down, the music started up once more, and couples resumed dancing. Ami stepped down from the platform at the head of the ballroom and looked around. "Where did Nephrite go?" she wondered aloud. She had seen him in the crowd during the speech, but he had since vanished. Glancing around, Ami caught sight of Jadeite, whom she pulled aside.

"Ah, Nephrite?" Jadeite repeated. "He went out on the balcony. He looked sick."

Ami furrowed her brows in concern. "Sick?" Jadeite shrugged, and Ami frowned. Thanking Jadeite, she turned and pushed through the curtains separating the balcony from the rest of the ballroom. There, she found Nephrite leaning against the railing, staring off into space. "Nephrite, are you all right?" she asked, her voice laden with concern. Nephrite visibly jumped, and turned to face her. Ami stepped forward. "Jadeite said you looked ill, so I got worried."

Nephrite stared at her for a moment, and then bowed. "Your Highness. I'm sorry to have concerned you. I..." He stopped mid-sentence. Ami was bent over, her hands on her knees, looking up into his face.

"What's the matter with you?" she inquired, placing her hands on his shoulders and forcing him to straighten up. "Why did you call me 'Your Highness'? You were fine just five minutes ago, but now..."

"I'm sorry," he stammered, flustered by her boldness. He looked away in embarrassment. "I didn't realize..."

"Realize what?" Ami prodded.

"That you were a princess."

Ami stared at him a moment, then burst out laughing. "Is _that_ all?" she asked between giggles. Nephrite turned his head to face her, confused by her mirth. "That's just a title!" Ami continued. "I'm just as subservient to Serenity as you are to Endymion. So none of this 'Your Highness'! We're equals." She smiled at Nephrite.

Nephrite felt unconvinced, but melted under her smile. _What is it about her? She's so...intriguing._

"So, are you going to dance with me?" Ami asked him.

He caved in and smiled back. "Yes, I am," he said boldly, pushing away from the railing and taking her arm. Together, they strode back into the bright ballroom.

The orchestra was playing a lovely waltz, and Nephrite turned to Ami and extended his hand to her. She took it, and he took her into his arms to begin the dance. The result was electrifying. Just this limited contact with her seemed to set his senses on fire. _**What**__ is coming over me?_ he thought anxiously, hoping that the flush spreading across his face wasn't visible as he led her across the dance floor.

Little did he realize that Ami was feeling much the same. She looked up at his expressionless face, his deep blue eyes. _He's so tall...and attractive,_ she thought, a blush of her own tinging her cheeks pink. _But there's more to him than that. He seems lonely... I want to know more about him._

"You dance well," she said aloud with a smile.

Nephrite looked down at her and felt his face involuntarily turn a deeper shade of red. "Oh? Well, we have a lot of these sorts of things on the Earth, so I've had a chance to practice."

Ami laughed a little. Nephrite looked at her inquisitively, and she shook her head. "It's funny. The Earth and the Moon Kingdoms have despised each other for so long, but we have so much in common, even down to the dances."

Her words struck Nephrite. Why _did_ the Earthlings hate the Moon People? It seemed a strange thing, almost unfathomable now that he was here. These people seemed to be nothing like what he had been told. Could it be he had been told wrong?

That was it, he realized. Earthlings hated the Moon People because they'd been told to. Because that's how they'd lived all their lives, and because they saw no reason to think otherwise. The thought deeply disturbed Nephrite, and he started to feel his temper swelling. Had he been lied to his entire life? He looked down at Ami once more. The supposed treachery of the Moon People–he saw none of that in her, only kindness and honesty. If he had never come here, would he have continued to believe lies about people like her his entire life? Would he have died, never knowing the truth?

"So," Ami began, not noticing that Nephrite had begun to tense with fury at his own thoughts, "What sorts of things do you like to do in your free time?"

Nephrite's building rage dissipated instantly at the abrupt change of subject. "In my free time?" He thought a moment. "Various things..."

"You'll find that Nephrite is a regular jack-of-all-trades," a deep voice interrupted. The pair turned to see Kunzite standing beside them. "May I cut in?"

Nephrite's temper briefly flared at the interruption, but he restrained it and released Ami from his grip. _Trust Kunzite to pick the worst possible time to show up_, he thought bitterly, trying to stifle the feeling of deep disappointment that churned inside him.

Ami caught his elbow as he started to turn. "I'll meet you on the balcony after this dance, and we can continue our conversation, okay?" she whispered.

Nephrite raised an eyebrow and nodded, feeling his spirits lift as he walked away.

Kunzite placed one hand on Ami's waist, and took her hand in his other. "I see that the two of you are speaking now," he commented, casting a little glance at Nephrite's retreating form.

"Oh, yes, and Kunzite–I wanted to thank you for that," Ami enthused. "I don't know what you said to him..."

"As much as I'd like to take credit for this, I didn't say anything to him," Kunzite replied. "Endymion scolded him for insulting you, but approaching you was a decision he made on his own." As the music picked up, he gave Ami a quick twirl, and continued, "I frankly can't believe that he did. He's so stubborn; he never admits that he's wrong, and usually just gets belligerent about it and just makes matters worse."

"Is that so?" Ami murmured, surprise evident in her voice. _But he apologized to me_...She turned her head to glance at Nephrite, who was leaning against the far wall beside the curtained entrance to the balcony. _He's more mysterious than I had first imagined._

Kunzite twirled Ami once more, marveling on her poise as she danced. She was so graceful, beautiful, and kind that it seemed almost impossible that she should even exist. No other woman in the galaxy, Kunzite decided, could even hold a candle to Ami. He silently wondered if all girls from Mercury were like her, or if she was as truly unique as he suspected. _The 'flower of the court,' they call her,_ he thought. _And justly so._

Ami's thoughts, however, were still turned towards Nephrite. She found herself simply going through the motions of the dance, her mind deep in contemplation. If he were truly as Kunzite had said, then why had he apologized to her? _Oh, why do I keep thinking of him? _she thought in frustration._ I'm being rude to Kunzite..._ But she remembered the way her skin had felt electrified when Nephrite had touched her, and found that she was having trouble tearing her mind away from it. The very memory made her blush. Ami had only known Nephrite for a few brief days; yet she was finding that the more she thought about him, the more intense the need to understand him, to get to know him better was becoming. But why? No other man had–

"Ami?" Kunzite's voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up and he smiled. "What are you thinking about that's making you frown like that?"

Ami laughed embarrassedly. "Oh, sorry, it's nothing." She thought for a moment, and then added, "Kunzite...tell me more about Nephrite."

"Him?" Kunzite raised his eyebrows. "Well, let's see. He's easily the most antisocial of the four of us. He doesn't speak often, but when he does, he's very showy about it. I think he doesn't really consider what he says before it comes out of his mouth; he's just so eager for someone to pay attention to him that he just says whatever's on his mind, which can lead to...complications."

_Meaning that he's insecure,_ Ami decided. She knew the feeling. While her own insecurities weren't strong enough to turn her words belligerent, she knew well enough how easily they could become so on the tongue of someone whose deepest desire was to be accepted. Her heart reached out to Nephrite once more.

"He doesn't speak much to _me_, at any rate," Kunzite was continuing. "He seems to get along with Jadeite the best. He's the second youngest of us, a few years my junior. I think he's about a year older than you," he added, and instantly regretted it. _I make myself sound ancient,_ he thought in annoyance. _My tongue winds itself in knots around her._

"I see," Ami said thoughtfully. She smiled back up at Kunzite, deciding to change the subject. She did not wish to discomfort her friend by talking only of Nephrite all night. "So, what do you think of the Millennium Ball?"

"I am highly impressed," Kunzite answered. "The decorations that you and your friends made are particularly nice."

Ami giggled, remembering how Kunzite had so gallantly offered to help the Senshi braid ribbons for the ball, not realizing that he had done so with the singular intent of spending more time with a certain Mercurian princess. "You helped too, Kunzite! Don't give us all the credit!"

"Come now, I count myself among your friends! I could never forget the intense labor I spent on that challenging task. I count it among my greatest accomplishments." Kunzite laughed harder, considering how foolish he must have looked to passersby. "And I never could braid the ribbons half as well as you girls."

"Well, obviously–we've had more experience than you," Ami said between giggles. "Unless you've been practicing on your own hair and haven't told me!" Kunzite's laughter, which had all but died out, returned with full strength at that.

_She had me worried for a moment with all the questions about Nephrite,_ he thought as they resumed their dance. _But I suppose she was just curious._

When the dance at last ended, Ami curtsied and took her leave of her friend, heading out onto the balcony where Nephrite was waiting for her. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. Nephrite watched her for a moment, her figure silhouetted by the light from the ballroom, her long dark hair cascading over her shoulders. Such beauty, so beloved by so many–Kunzite, his superior, included–and yet she was choosing to reach out to him. The thought simultaneously flattered and confused him.

"Did you enjoy your dance?" he asked her, turning and leaning against the railing.

Ami joined him. "Yes," she said. "Kunzite is a very kind man."

Nephrite bit his tongue and kept his thoughts on _that_ matter to himself. They stood in silence for a moment, and Nephrite turned his attention back to the object he had been studying while waiting for Ami on the balcony–the Earth. "I had no idea that's what it looked like from here," he commented.

Ami looked over at him and smiled. "What do you think of it?"

Nephrite considered for a moment, feeling his face grow hot under her gaze. "It's huge," he admitted. "It makes me feel very...small." Ami said nothing, but continued to smile at him. He went on after a moment, "It's so easy to get wrapped up in your own affairs, but then something like this makes you realize how small you really are in the grand scheme of things." He was surprised at the words coming out of his own mouth, but there they were. He looked down.

Ami turned her eyes away from him and towards the object of his scrutiny. _It's as I suspected,_ she thought. _It's not that he's antisocial, he's just...unsure._ She felt very close to him at that moment. "Do you want to see my planet?" she asked him suddenly.

Nephrite looked at her. "Your planet?" he repeated.

"Yes, the world I came from. Mercury." She glanced around for an instant and pointed.

Nephrite looked in the direction she indicated, and his gaze fell on what looked like a tiny blue star. "I see," he said. _So she's not actually __**from**__ the Moon. She's a stranger here, in a sense...like I am._

"Even though my world is the closest to the sun, it's actually not very hot there at all. The power of the Silver Crystal keeps the climate in check," Ami explained. "The whole planet is nearly covered with water, and everything is blue, as far as you can see." Her voice had taken a pained tone to it, and she was avoiding his eyes now, giving her full attention to smoothing her skirt. "I haven't seen my home in years," Ami continued, her voice now barely audible. "It takes all my strength to hold onto the memories I have of it. Sometimes I wonder if all my memories are really just fantasies."

Nephrite straightened and turned to completely face her. He suddenly had a strong desire to touch her, to drive away her sadness and pain, but he restrained himself. "Can't you go home for just a little bit?" he asked her.

Ami looked up at him and smiled halfheartedly, her eyes shining with tears. "It's my duty to protect the Princess at all costs," she said. "Even if that means I cannot do things that I want to. If I were to leave her, I would be forsaking my duties as a Senshi."

Nephrite nodded. Her words resounded with him. "I understand. Our duties as Shitennou are very much the same."

Ami smiled and brushed a lone tear away from her face. "I've told you about Mercury," she said. "Will you tell me about Earth?"

Nephrite looked once more at the massive blue and green orb in the sky. "It's very diverse. There are mountains and forests, oceans and deserts." He paused; that description didn't feel right. "We don't have a crystal, but...other than that, it's actually not very different from here, to tell you the truth. Although, from the way the Moon and Earth Kingdoms fight, you'd think it would be as different as night and day."

Ami nodded. "Yes, but...honestly, I always suspected that the differences were only superficial." Nephrite looked at her in surprise as she continued, "It's been my experience that usually, the only differences between people are perceptions."

_Perceptions, huh?_ Nephrite thought, looking at the Earth. _Easily created, but not easily changed._ He looked over at Ami, whose wide eyes reflected the heavenly light of the Earth. _Yet, somehow, she..._

Nephrite never finished the thought, deciding instead to relax, for once, and enjoy the view.

* * *

Back inside the ballroom, Zoisite was standing with his back against the wall, his arms folded and his eyes cast downward. The room was filled with merriment and celebration, but he never let his guard down, even for an instant. Now that the other three Shitennou had clearly abandoned their senses completely, it was obvious that only Zoisite could protect the Master from these Moon People's treachery.

"Zoisite." He lifted his head to see Endymion standing in front of him. "You haven't danced once this entire evening," Endymion observed. "Even Nephrite eventually gave in and shared a dance with Princess Ami."

"I noticed," Zoisite said bitterly.

Endymion sighed and looked around, his eyes falling on Sailor Venus, who was talking to Serenity a few feet away. "Why don't you dance with Princess Minako?" he suggested.

Zoisite crinkled his nose. "I'd rather not, Master," he said. _I'd like to dance with her even less than I'd like to dance with any of the other vixens here,_ he thought sourly, remembering how Sailor Venus had shown off during the training incident a few days prior.

"I just don't understand what's wrong with you," Endymion was saying. "I can't believe _Nephrite_ caved before you did..."

He was interrupted by Serenity, who approached with Minako in tow. Seeing them coming, Zoisite quickly raised his mental defenses, feeling the eyes of the scowling young woman trained on him.

"Endymion, I'm trying to get Minako to sing for us, but she won't," Serenity said, her pout audible in her voice.

Endymion lifted his brow in surprise. "I didn't know that Princess Minako was gifted at singing," he remarked. He turned to Minako. "I'd be honored if you would give us a performance."

Serenity nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, she's quite talented musically!"

"That's quite a coincidence, because Zoisite is also quite gifted that way," Endymion said, gesturing to his vassal. "Particularly with the piano."

"You flatter me, Master," Zoisite said blandly.

Minako bristled at the comparison. "Well, he may be considered good by Earth standards, but would he hold up on the Moon?" she asked snidely.

_So that's how she wants to play it?_ Zoisite thought in annoyance. "If you doubt my skills, then perhaps I should give you an example of my talents right now," he challenged.

"On the contrary," Minako snapped back. "I shall give my performance as Princess Serenity has requested, and I'm sure that you'll find that it will be much better than anything you've ever heard on Earth."

Zoisite opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Serenity. "Minako, Zoisite, wait a moment!" she cried. "I have a better idea. Zoisite, you can play, and Minako can sing! And then we can decide who's best."

Zoisite and Minako continued to stare at each other coldly for a moment; then, Zoisite replied, never taking his eyes from Minako's face: "Very well. I accept this challenge."

"It wasn't exactly a challenge," Serenity began, but Minako interrupted, stating that she, too, would participate.

Serenity smiled, and gestured for the orchestra to cease its playing. "Everyone," she announced, "Princess Minako and Lord Zoisite are going to perform for us!"

The audience murmured a bit as Zoisite followed Minako to the orchestral area. The orchestra's pianist rose from the grand piano, and Zoisite, flourishing his cape, took his seat there. Minako handed him a sheet of music. "We don't have any _Earth_ music, of course," she explained curtly. "But if you're as skilled a musician as you claim, then you should have no trouble reading this."

"No trouble at all," Zoisite replied acidly. They held each other's gaze a moment more, then Minako abruptly turned to face the audience and Zoisite began the introduction to the Lunarian ballad. Minako had deliberately chosen a difficult piece, but Zoisite played it flawlessly.

_He's a cool one,_ Minako thought bitterly, his unabashed, icy stare etched into her memory. _But I'll show him_. Inhaling deeply, she began to sing.

_Serenity told no lie_, Zoisite thought, frowning. _Her voice is truly breathtaking._ He furrowed his brow and pushed that out of his mind, focusing on his playing.

_Curse him,_ Minako scowled internally as she sang. _He plays without fault, even though it's a piece of music he's never even heard before. He really is a skilled musician._ She resolved to ignore it, and simply willed herself to sing better than she ever had before.

Serenity stood beside Endymion in the crowd, her hands clasped in front of her as she watched the two perform. _Beautiful! _she thought, enraptured. _Simply beautiful! I've never heard Minako sing so well. And Endymion was right about Zoisite, too–he plays better than anyone I've ever known!_ She sighed, and smiled up at the Earth Prince, leaning her head against his shoulder. Endymion, smiling back at her, wrapped his arm around her waist. _If only Minako would let go of her prejudice against the Earth Kingdom_, Serenity thought blissfully. _She and Zoisite would make a great pair._

Minako held the last haunting note of the ballad, and the audience erupted with applause. Serenity rushed forward. "Minako, Zoisite, that was incredible!" she cried.

"Well, your highness?" Minako inquired abruptly.

"Well?" Serenity repeated.

"Who was better?" Zoisite elaborated.

"Oh, that." Serenity had rather hoped that once they had actually performed together, they would forget about the competition. "You were both good," she said, "but I think you go best together. So, you both win!"

"Eh?" Minako sighed in disappointment, and jerked her head to look at Zoisite. He folded his arms and gazed icily back at her. "I suppose it's a draw then," he said.

"I suppose so."

Zoisite exhaled, looking down at his silver boots. "You sang very well," he said quietly.

Minako's eyes widened in surprise at this unexpected compliment. She felt her pulse lurch forward, although why she could not fathom. "Thank you," she said uncertainly. "Your playing was quite good as well."

Zoisite looked back up, his eyes locking with Minako's. He held her gaze for a moment, stepping closer, and Minako reflexively drew in her breath at his proximity. Looking deeply into her eyes, Zoisite said, "But don't expect any more compliments from me." With that, he curtly turned and strode away.

Minako's jaw dropped, and she stared after him, riveted in place. "I take back what I said about you playing the piano well!" she snapped, but he either didn't hear or chose to ignore her. _Curse him!_ she thought, overwhelmed with rage. Her heart was still pounding hard in her chest, and she cursed herself as well, for letting him get to her. Furiously, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the ballroom.

"Minako!" Serenity called after her. She sighed. "I thought it had worked, too," she said disappointedly.

"Just give them time," Endymion said from behind her. Serenity turned to face him as he added, "They'll come around. I'm sure of it."

* * *

At last, the Millennium Ball had come to an end, and the guests began to leave. Rei looked around the half-empty ballroom. Minako had stormed out just after her performance with Zoisite and had not returned; but someone else was missing as well.

"Makoto," Rei said, tapping the taller woman on the shoulder. Makoto, who had been conversing with Jadeite and Kunzite, turned. "Have you seen Ami?" Rei asked.

"I haven't seen her for a few hours," Makoto replied. "I think she went out on the balcony."

"I haven't seen Nephrite, either," Jadeite chimed in. "He was looking kind of sick earlier."

Rei nodded. "I'll check on the balcony," she said. Kunzite watched her go quizzically, but said nothing and returned to his conversation with Makoto and Jadeite.

Rei pushed though the curtains onto the balcony, blinking from the sudden change from light to dark. Vaguely, she saw two figures who were standing close together by the railing leap apart and turn to face her. "Ami, are you here?" Rei asked, squinting into the darkness.

"Oh, yes, Rei, I'm right here," Ami's voice said; Rei blinked once more and her form came into focus. Standing beside her was the tallest Shitennou, the red-haired Nephrite. Rei quirked her head to the side curiously. _What are those two doing out here alone together?_

"Rei, what's the matter?" Ami asked after a moment.

"Ah, sorry, it's nothing," Rei replied. "The ball is ending, and we were just wondering where you had disappeared to."

"The ball is over already?" Nephrite asked in surprise. He glanced at Ami. "I'd better go find my Master." Ami nodded, and, smiling briefly at her, Nephrite strode past Rei into the ballroom. _I can't believe I lost track of time like that,_ he chided himself. _And I also can't believe that I almost..._ He swallowed hard, remembering the long moment of silence just before Rei had come out onto the balcony; his hands on Ami's shoulders, her face so close that all he had needed to do was lean over slightly to touch his lips to hers...

_I almost kissed her,_ Nephrite thought in a panic. _If that girl hadn't come out when she did, I know I would have done it._ He wondered anxiously if Rei had seen them, but then decided that she couldn't have, as her eyes had not yet adjusted to the light. But still... _What's come over me?_

Ami watched him go, an odd expression on her face. Rei looked confusedly from Ami to Nephrite, who was striding across the ballroom to his comrades. "Ami, what's going on?" she asked.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing," Ami replied hastily. "Nephrite and I were just out here talking, that's all. I didn't realize how late it had gotten."

"Oh?" Rei said, surprise evident in her voice. "What did you talk about?"

"Well, I told him about Mercury and the Moon, and he told me about Earth. You know. Various things."

Rei smiled and shook her head. _That's just like Ami,_ she thought. _But I'm glad that man apologized to her._

Ami smiled. _Of course, I didn't tell her about the last part._ She smiled at the secret memory of his touch, gentle hands on her shoulders. Even though he was wearing gloves, she had been able to feel his warmth on her skin. His eyes had looked straight into hers, and for a moment, she had thought for sure that he was going to kiss her. _That memory is for me alone,_ she decided, her heart feeling light.

"I'd say the ball was a success," Rei said, turning to walk back inside.

"Yes," Ami agreed. "Princess Serenity must be thrilled." And with that, the two Senshi returned to the ballroom, leaving the darkness and the gossamer glow of the Earth behind.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four  
Stargazing**

"You know, I've never been to a ball that big on Earth," Jadeite said the next day. "And the girls here are a _lot_ prettier. Did you know that I danced with _seven_ different girls last night?"

Zoisite smiled at his young companion's enthusiasm, even though he couldn't share it. _Typical teenager_, he thought with amusement. "You did mention it once or twice," he said aloud.

Jadeite nodded. "I had a lot of fun last night," he reiterated. He looked up at Zoisite, struck by a thought. "Ah, and it was incredible when you played the piano and Princess Minako sang! You two sounded so good together!"

Zoisite's smile faded and he sank back into his chair. _I wish people would stop saying that_, he thought, bitterly remembering the unpleasant emotions Princess Minako had been causing him. Her singing had been lovely, but still...

"_I take back_ _what I said about you playing the piano well!"_ her angry voice echoed in his head. He shook his head and frowned. _Don't dwell on it,_ he ordered himself fiercely._ These Moon vixens are nothing but trouble. If you let your guard down for just an instant, they'll get inside your head and rob you of your senses._

"Zoisite, what's wrong?" Jadeite asked in concern, shaking Zoisite from his reverie. "You look like you're going to be sick. That's how Nephrite looked last night! Do you think something is going around?"

"Undoubtedly," Kunzite said, entering the common room from his own suite and attaching his cape to his shoulder pads as he walked. "It's an infectious disease caused by exposure to beautiful young women. I believe it's called 'lovesickness'." He chuckled. "You'd best be careful, Jadeite, or you'll catch it too!"

Jadeite laughed; Zoisite, on the other hand, scowled. "Be quiet, Kunzite," he snapped.

Kunzite laughed aloud and opened the door leading to one of the many palace hallways. "Where are you going?" Jadeite called after him

"I'm going to take a look around the Kingdom, and, while I'm at it, try to find something to mend my cloak with. It's coming loose on the right side," Kunzite explained.

Jadeite nodded. "Have fun!" he said as Kunzite closed the door after himself.

In the privacy of the hall, Kunzite's expression changed. _Lovesickness,_ he thought. _I hope I don't fall prey to that myself._ He turned briskly and strode away.

Still in the common room, Zoisite rose to his feet. "I'm going to go compose," he said, hoping its soothing effects would help calm his nerves.

"What, you're going too?" Jadeite asked disappointedly.

"If you're bored, find Nephrite and the Master," Zoisite suggested, "I believe they're walking the grounds."

Jadeite brightened. "That sounds like a good idea," he said, also standing. He hadn't had a chance to talk to Nephrite since the previous night, and now seemed a good opportunity–particularly to find out where Nephrite had disappeared to, exactly.

* * *

Out in the palace gardens, Nephrite walked in attendance of his master. "I think Serenity's ball was a fabulous success," Endymion was saying. "All of her hard work definitely paid off."

"Mmm," Nephrite agreed distractedly.

Endymion eyed him suspiciously. "So, where were you all evening?"

That snapped Nephrite from his reverie. "Huh? Oh." Nephrite looked down, his cheeks turning a bit pink. "I just went out on the balcony and talked with Princess Ami for awhile."

Endymion smiled knowingly. "I see that the two of you made up."

"Yeah," Nephrite said, searching for a new subject and trying to push Ami's face from his mind. "So what did I miss?"

"Did you hear about Zoisite and Princess Minako's little face-off?" Endymion asked.

Nephrite's eyes widened. "No, I heard nothing about that!" he said.

Endymion chuckled a little. "They did a duet, with him on the piano and her singing. They kept trying to outdo each other! Serenity's idea _had_ been that if they performed together, they might let go of some of their animosity towards each other." He shook his head. "I think it did the opposite, though. Right after they finished the song, Zoisite said something to her that made her so angry that she left the ball." He sighed. "Zoisite's behavior worries me."

"I see," Nephrite said thoughtfully, not sure what to say in response to that.

"I have faith in him, though," Endymion added after a moment. "If you and Princess Ami were able to resolve _your_ differences, then there's no doubt in my mind that Zoisite and Princess Minako can work theirs out as well."

The underlying dig about Nephrite's intrinsic stubbornness slipped past the general unnoticed, as his mind had already turned to other things. _If Zoisite and Minako resolve their differences as Ami and I did..._ –In his memory, Nephrite saw Ami's sweet face, her gentle warmth– _...then we'll really be in for it._

_

* * *

_

"I thought the ball went wonderfully," Ami commented as she walked alongside Serenity.

"Yes, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves," Serenity replied. "Except Minako, of course," she added, frowning.

"Rei told me that she fought with one of the Shitennou," Ami said, her voice filled with concern.

"She did," Serenity said. "But it's strange; whatever he said to her seems to have really upset her. Minako is usually so imperturbable, but she's been acting more emotional recently. Zoisite seems to be having an effect on her." She considered this. "I suppose that _could_ be a good thing, if only they would move past insulting each other..."

"Your Highness?" Ami asked, confused.

"Oh, it's nothing," Serenity replied quickly. "I was just thinking aloud, that's all."

The two continued down the garden path into an area filled with many white marble columns, overgrown with vines and climbing roses. Ami looked around at the beautiful setting contentedly; and as she and Serenity rounded the corner, they nearly ran headlong into Endymion and Nephrite, who were approaching from the opposite side. Endymion and Serenity met each others' eyes and smiled; Nephrite and Ami, on the other hand, each looked down towards the ground in embarrassment.

"Hello, ladies," Endymion said brightly. "What are you up to this morning?"

"Well, Ami was accompanying me on a stroll, and then she was going to go into town to get some sewing supplies, am I right?"

Ami, feeling her face growing warm for reasons unknown, nodded.

Endymion's eyes lit up. "Well, then–why don't _I_ accompany you on the rest of your walk, and Nephrite can escort Princess Ami into town."

Nephrite jerked his head up at that. "Master!" he exclaimed.

"That's an excellent idea!" Serenity put in. "Nephrite, you haven't seen the town yet, have you?"

"Well...no...but..."

"Then it's settled!" Endymion cut him off, extending his arm for Serenity to take.

Nephrite sighed in exasperation. "Princess Ami, do you mind?" he asked, daring a glance in her direction.

"No, of course not," she replied, her cheeks tinged with pink. She curtsied, and, Nephrite following closely, departed.

Serenity and Endymion watched them go. When they had vanished from sight, Serenity turned to the Earth Prince. "We're wicked," Serenity said, grinning deviously.

"Ah, but that's what makes us so likable!" Endymion countered, bending and placing a playful kiss on his princess's lips.

* * *

"The shop we're going to is just off the main street," Ami said while she and Nephrite walked down the busy sidewalk outside the palace gates. As they went, Nephrite looked around in interest at the bustling throng of people performing their daily activities. "What do you think of it?" Ami asked, noticing his wandering eyes.

"Actually, I was just thinking that this looks just like an Earth town," Nephrite admitted.

Ami giggled and, fighting a blush, slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow. "Isn't that what we figured out last night?" she asked him. "That the Earth and the Moon actually aren't so different?"

"Last night," Nephrite repeated, his face turning as red as his hair. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Ami smiled contentedly as she and Nephrite continued arm in arm. _Yes, Your Highness,_ she thought, remembering her earlier conversation with Princess Serenity. _I'd say that the ball __**definitely**__ went well._

They passed a bakery and Nephrite inhaled the scent of warm, freshly baked rolls and loaves; they passed a florist and he caught a sweet perfume. The crowd swarmed noisily about them, yet, with Ami on his arm, he felt totally at ease, even in a foreign place. At least, he _did_–until he noticed that a good deal of the passersby were watching him intently.

"Ami," Nephrite said in a low voice, "Why are those people staring at us?"

Ami blinked and looked around. "Oh...I think it's because they don't recognize you," she admitted.

Nephrite furrowed his brow. "What, you mean every person in the Moon Kingdom knows each other?"

Ami laughed. "No, silly," she replied. "They just know _me_."

"Oh." Nephrite looked uncomfortably at the staring populace. "Don't you find that a bit...disconcerting?"

Still smiling, Ami shook her head. "Just ignore it," she said. "The shop is just around the corner, anyway."

Ami led Nephrite around a bend, through a brightly lit avenue and into a shop. Inside were innumerable bolts of fabric in a multitude of colors and textures. There were shelves of pattern books and racks adorned with spools of thread. Ami approached the front counter, where a kindly looking older woman, bespectacled and with her hair pulled back in a bun, sat.

"Good morning, Mistress Ami," the woman said.

"Good morning, Clara!" Ami brightly replied.

"Who's this strapping young fellow?" Clara asked, gesturing to Nephrite. Nephrite's eyebrows flew up. He could not recall ever having been referred to as "strapping" before.

"This is my friend Nephrite, one of Prince Endymion's vassals," Ami was saying. "He's accompanying me on my errands today."

Nephrite bowed politely. "Nice to meet you."

"A pleasure," Clara said, smiling broadly. She leaned in towards Ami and added, under her breath but not nearly quietly enough, "So polite, and so tall! A good catch, Mistress!"

Ami could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I just need some blue floss and a new embroidery hoop, please," she said quickly, steering the discussion away from Nephrite.

"Ah, yes, I'll fetch those for you, my dear," Clara said, adjusting her glasses and turning to the shelves behind her. "Does this mean I get to look forward to seeing another of your lovely pieces soon?"

"I'm going to embroider a throw pillow," Ami replied.

"Oh, wonderful," Clara said. "I shall look forward to seeing it."

"I see that you sew a lot," Nephrite said, commenting on Ami's familiarity with the shopowner. Clara was seeming more like a doting grandmother than just the proprietress of a shop to him.

"She does, she does," Clara answered for Ami, setting the embroidery hoop and the spool of floss on the counter and starting to wrap them in brown paper. "And she's so talented! She does the best embroidery I've seen in a good many years. You need patience for pieces like that, and Princess Ami certainly has that."

"I started with knitting," Ami explained. "I liked that, so I branched out to other things, like crocheting, embroidery, so on."

Nephrite nodded. _Patience,_ he thought to himself. _Just another on her list of virtues. I, on the other hand, am the epitome of __**im**__patience. _He smiled. _Maybe some of her good qualities will rub off on me._

"Here you are, dear," Clara said, handing Ami the package. "Be sure to let me see how your project turns out!"

"I will," Ami said, turning to leave. "Thank you!" With a wave to Clara, the two left the shop. "So, what else would you like to see?" Ami asked Nephrite as they headed towards the main street once more. "There's a lot in the Moon Kingdom that you have yet to experience."

Nephrite hadn't the faintest clue where to start, but before he could even open his mouth to tell Ami so, he was cut off by a deeper voice from behind.

"Imagine meeting you two here!" Kunzite said, appearing beside them.

"Kunzite!" Ami exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for a place where I could purchase supplies with which to mend my cloak," he replied, "when I came upon an unlikely pair."

"Oh! Coincidentally, Nephrite and I just left the sewing shop ourselves. I was picking up some embroidery material," Ami said. "It's just over there, they should have what you need."

"I'd be pleased if you'd show me," Kunzite said. He cast a glance over at Nephrite, who seemed to be seething, and grinned.

"Oh...all right," Ami responded. She turned to Nephrite. "We'll just head back to Clara's shop for a moment, and then we'll get back to our tour of the kingdom..."

"A guided tour, you say?" Kunzite interjected. "I wouldn't mind one of those myself! Would it be all right if I joined you?"

"Well...I..." Ami stuttered, flustered. "I suppose..."

"It's fine, Princess," Nephrite interrupted. Kunzite's sudden appearance had ruined his good mood. "I just remembered, there's something I need to do back at the palace. You two go on ahead; I can see the kingdom at another time."

"Okay," Ami said softly. Nephrite bowed and strode off. Ami watched him go, trying to suppress her disappointment. "Shall we go?" Kunzite asked, extending his arm; and, trying to push Nephrite from her mind, Ami took it and led him in the direction of Clara's shop.

* * *

Zoisite sighed and stood. No matter how hard he tried, he simply could not get the music to come to him. This foreign place, the strange suite they'd put him in, the unfamiliar piano–it was all inhibiting his ability to do anything creative whatsoever. He needed to get away from the stifling atmosphere. Exhaling, he resolved to head outside. It may not be Earth, but at least he could relax in the welcome sunshine.

He wandered into the vast, unending gardens of the Moon Palace, searching for an isolated area where he could sit in peace. He followed a long, winding cobblestone path for quite some time, until it brought him to a seemingly abandoned courtyard, surrounded with fluted columns and hanging pots teeming over with greenery. It reminded Zoisite a bit of an area of the Earth Kingdom's gardens; although, of course, not as fine.

As he entered the courtyard, the first thing he noticed that was between the columns stood various marble statues of maidens in long gowns. In the center of the courtyard, where all the statues' empty eyes gazed, was a large fountain. Following their gaze, Zoisite realized for the first time that he was not alone in the courtyard: sitting on the rim of the fountain, intently watching the spray of the water, was Princess Minako of Venus. Her knees were in her chest, and she rested her cheek on them. Her shoulders were bare, and her black hair spilled down over her back, creating a portrait of perfect beauty.

Zoisite swallowed and stepped silently forward into the courtyard. His chest clenched and he felt himself nearly overwhelmed with desire seeing her sitting there like that. Desperately, he struggled to suppress these strong emotions. There wasn't the slimmest possibility that he could be attracted to one of those Moon vixens, he reasoned with himself, especially _this_ one. It was a spell, one he must combat with all his will, no matter how hard it was.

Turning her head slightly, Minako sharply drew in her breath, noticing Zoisite's presence for the first time. She swiftly stood. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I went for a walk," Zoisite said with a shrug. "I wasn't aware that I was under house arrest."

Minako said nothing in reply; she merely stood there, the light bouncing off the water and playing on her skin, her expressionless gaze never leaving Zoisite. He tried to tear his eyes off her form, but it was as if he was paralyzed.

Finally, Minako broke the silence. "You are free to go wherever you please. I was just unsure if your true intent was an innocent walk, or if you were hoping for another opportunity to insult me when my guard was down," she said coolly.

Her words cut Zoisite far more deeply than he expected them to. "That was not my intention," he said.

"Good," Minako said, striding past Zoisite to the courtyard's entrance. "Because I'll have you know, I won't fall for that twice. Nor will I let my guard down around you again."

Zoisite's temper flared. "And I assure you, the same goes for me," he snapped.

"Very well, then," Minako said, turning on her heel and leaving the courtyard.

_Loathsome wench_, Zoisite thought in disdain. _And a hussy on top of it. Her attire alone was enough to drive even the most strong-willed of men to the brink of ruin._

He sat on the brim of the fountain where Minako had been perched moments before. _Still...why was she out here alone?_ he wondered. _No matter...it's none of my concern._ He gazed around the courtyard, wondering for a bit about the identities of the women portrayed in stone, and why Venus had chosen this place as her refuge.

After a few minutes, Zoisite allowed himself a small smile. _Suddenly, I feel as though I can write something._ He stood, and left the courtyard behind him.

* * *

"Have you been avoiding me?" Ami asked Nephrite. Several days had passed since their doomed trip into town. Ami hadn't seen much of Nephrite since then; when she had, he had been with Endymion or the other Shitennou, and she hadn't been able to speak to him at all. Therefore, tonight after supper, she had intercepted him before she missed her opportunity.

"Why should I be avoiding you?" Nephrite inquired as they walked down the breezeway. He kept his eyes fixed on the vibrant pink sky, the blazing sunset, and avoided catching the gaze of Ami's prying eyes. He _had_ been avoiding her, although he couldn't say for sure why he had been. Something about seeing Kunzite, his elder and superior, turn Ami's attention from him so easily had hurt Nephrite.

Ami chewed on her lip. "I don't know," she said. "I haven't seen you since we were in town a few days ago and Kunzite showed up, so I thought you might be mad at me."

Nephrite looked at her, startled. Suddenly, he felt miserable. He had been so selfish–he had thought only of his own feelings, not that he might be hurting Ami's. She was entitled to be friends with whomever she chose, regardless of how Nephrite felt about it. "I'm sorry, Ami," he said quickly. "It was nothing. I was just busy the past few days; it's hard to get a chance to talk to you without us being interrupted."

"I know," Ami agreed, thinking of how _twice_ Kunzite had interrupted her time with Nephrite. Of course she loved her friend dearly, and enjoyed spending time with him; but it was exceedingly difficult to get Nephrite to open up, and every time Kunzite popped up, Nephrite pulled back into his shell. It was frustrating, to say the least. "I have an idea, though," she continued, turning out of the breezeway onto a path that led into the gardens.

"Where are you going?" Nephrite asked.

"I'm going to show you a place where no one will bother us," Ami replied brightly. "Come with me."

Nephrite arched an eyebrow, but followed her nonetheless. They had only walked along the path for a short while when Ami veered off, crossing a large expanse of grass. The sun had completely set when the pair arrived at a secluded area surrounded by willow trees. "This is the spot," Ami told Nephrite. "My secret place. We can talk as long as we want here, and no one will interrupt us."

Ami pushed through the long draping vines that hung from the willows' branches, Nephrite following close behind. He looked around in awe at the sparking blue pond and the various plant life surrounding it. "This is incredible," he said.

Ami smiled, sitting on the grass. "I knew you'd like it here," she said. "Wait until it gets completely dark–you can see every star in the sky."

Nephrite sat beside her on the grass, never taking his eyes off the beautiful Princess of Mercury. _Every star in the sky?_ he thought wistfully. He could see no other star besides the one at his side. _She is Kunzite's star,_ he reminded himself sullenly. _One such as I shouldn't even dare to hope..._

_

* * *

_

Kunzite wandered the empty halls of the Moon Palace. _Where could she have gone?_ he wondered. He had noticed Ami at dinner, but not since. Jadeite and Endymion were back in the common room that joined each of the Shitennou's temporary quarters, playing chess; Kunzite had tired of watching their long game and Zoisite was no company whatsoever. As for Nephrite–who knew where he had gone off to now? He seemed to enjoy being alone anyway.

Kunzite had hoped to find some company with Ami, but she was not to be found in her suite, nor anywhere else for that matter. Kunzite had asked Serenity and the other Senshi if they had seen her or if they knew where she'd gone off to, but to no avail. Where could Ami have disappeared to?

He stopped short, suddenly remembering. _Of course,_ he thought, smiling. He had suddenly realized where Ami had gone.

* * *

"Which constellation is your favorite?" Ami asked as she and Nephrite looked up at the twinkling diamond sky.

"That one," he said. "Ursa Major, the big bear." He paused, then admitted, "It's the easiest for me to find."

Ami giggled. "Bear?" she repeated.

"Yeah," Nephrite said, gesturing. "There's the body, and the neck and head."

Ami blinked. "Quite an imagination. It looks like a ladle to me."

Nephrite frowned good-naturedly. "Maybe you don't have _enough_ of an imagination." He laughed, then changed the subject. "Which one is _your_ favorite?"

Ami pointed. "That one."

Nephrite turned his head. "Ah, Orion, the mighty hero holding his club."

"Orion," Ami said. "That's not what I see when I look at that constellation..." Nephrite turned to face Ami. Her knees were in her chest, and her eyes reflected the starlight as she looked up at the constellation. "I see Mariel, 'of the Sea,' the first Princess of Mercury, guardian of the first Queen Serenity, who united all the worlds under the Moon Kingdom and the power of the Silver Crystal."

Nephrite shifted on his knees and faced her front on. "Ami," he said softly. Her eyes were shining, not from the reflected starlight alone, but from the tears welled up in her eyes.

"She was a brave and strong woman, who protected her queen from invaders with her powerful bow." Ami gestured to the three stars forming an arc over the constellation's body. Nephrite found that if he looked hard enough, he could see the first Mercurian Princess aiming her bow.

"Her loyalty to the queen was so strong, she was immortalized in the stars. She is my ancestor, and not just by blood. She was the first Sailor Mercury," Ami explained. "I have inherited her powers and her duty. I can only hope that I live up to her standards." Ami smiled. "I like to think that she is watching over me from her place in the heavens."

Nephrite smiled back at her. "That's a lot better than liking a stupid bear that looks like a spoon," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

Ami shrugged and rose to her feet, kicking off her slippers. Barefoot, she approached the pond and leapt onto the first stepping stone, holding her hands out for balance. "I love this place," she said. "It reminds me of my home."

Nephrite stood and walked to the pond's edge, watching as she hopped from stone to stone and back again. "Nephrite, how did you become Endymion's guardian?" Ami suddenly asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Me?" Nephrite said in surprise. "Well...I've known him since we were just children. My father was his father's guardian, and I became Endymion's."

Ami nodded. "It's the same with the Senshi. Another similarity between us." She spun on her heel, leaping to a new stone. "Such is our destiny."

"You make it sound like a bad thing," Nephrite said.

"No, no," Ami said hastily, shaking her head emphatically. "I didn't mean it that way at all. I love being a Senshi, even though I miss my home. I was just thinking out loud, that's all. We're lucky that our Masters are our friends, not tyrants that we are forced to serve."

Nephrite nodded. _She's always thinking. Things that never would have even crossed my mind, that I always just took for granted._ He watched her skip from stepping stone to stepping stone, innocent as a child. The strange, warm feeling returned, and he tried to remind himself of Kunzite, and why he should not get too attached to her, despite how hard it might be...

Just then, Ami slipped on one of the mossy rocks at the pond's edge. Her ankle twisted and her foot shot out from under her. "Ami!" Nephrite gasped, rushing forward and catching her as she started to fall. They stood there a moment, knee-deep in the water, Ami clutching his arms and trying to catch her breath.

At last, she looked up at Nephrite. "Thank you," she sighed. "That gave me quite a scare." She forced a little laugh.

Nephrite, however, remained solemn. Her slip had scared him, too, unnecessarily so. He looked down into her jet-black eyes and, suddenly, before her realized what he was doing, he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. The sensation was mind-numbing; sharp jolts of electricity shot through his skin, tingling all the way down to his feet. It took a full moment before he realized in horror what he had just done. His eyes flew open and he pulled away abruptly.

"I'm sorry," Nephrite stammered, taking a step back. "That was stupid. I should go now..." He started to turn, but Ami stopped him, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling his head back down to kiss her again.

_It can't be,_ were the only coherent thoughts Nephrite could piece together. _It can't be that she actually feels the same way!_ Pushing all other thoughts from his mind, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her tiny frame as close to him as he possibly could. For a long while they stayed like that, thinking of nothing else.

At last, Ami pulled her lips away from his, dropping down from tiptoe and, her arms wrapped tightly around his middle, buried her face in his chest. Her heart was pounding and her breath was short; through his jacket, she could feel Nephrite's own heart beating hard, and, squeezing her eyelids shut, she clutched him even tighter. Never in her life had she felt anything like this, and she didn't want to let it go, no matter what.

Nephrite rested his cheek on the crown of her head and absentmindedly stroked her hair. He couldn't believe this was happening. It was unreal. _She chose me,_ he thought. He breathed in deeply, taking in her scent. _If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up._

At long last, Ami shifted in his arms and looked up at him. "I have sand between my toes," she announced, smiling impishly.

Nephrite looked down and saw that her feet were nearly covered with the fine blue silt that lined the bottom of the pool. He laughed and said, as seriously as he could muster, "We can't have that." He scooped her up and carried her out of the pond. Once on the grass, he didn't set her down, but rather spun her around, causing the wet ends of her skirt to shower water droplets around them. Ami giggled and protested, and at last Nephrite complied, setting her gently on her feet and kissing her once more.

There was a slight rustling in the willows, unnoticed by the starlit couple. As quickly as he could, Kunzite silently made his way from the willow grove and back to the palace, trying desperately to drive the scene he had just witnessed from his mind. His breathing was ragged and uneven. Nephrite kissing her, that was understandable–how could anyone _help_ but fall in love with Ami? But seeing her kiss him back, so willingly...it had been too much for Kunzite to bear, but he had been unable to tear his eyes away.

_It's of no concern, anyway,_ Kunzite reasoned with himself. _My first priority is serving the Master. This is no time for me to get involved with a woman._

Nevertheless, Kunzite could feel a hole growing in his heart, and it could only get bigger.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five  
The Pact**

At last, the Earth party's stay on the Moon was drawing to a close. Serenity and Endymion, of course, wanted to spend the last few days in each other's company, which suited everyone just fine—everyone, that is, except for Zoisite. As he watched his fellow Earthlings grow more and more comfortable in the Moon Kingdom, he became discouraged, and his mood darkened. He was beginning to wonder if he was the only one who was immune to the spells these witches cast. But then, of course, he was forced to remember Princess Minako's bare shoulders and the impact they'd had on him, which only left him feeling _more_ bitter.

The effects of a mere few weeks in this accursed place were proving to be devastating. Jadeite was, at the moment, watching enthusiastically as Princess Makoto demonstrated to him how to make some frozen confection she called "ice cream." Jadeite had quickly proclaimed it as his 'favorite thing in the known universe,' and had requested that the Princess of Jupiter, as the most skilled cook among the Senshi, teach him how it was made so he could enjoy it at home on Earth. Zoisite shook his head as he watched them. _How could Jadeite possibly like a __**Moon**__ dish so much? _he thought in disgust. _It_'_s probably a poison of some sort, eating away at him from the inside out._

Zoisite walked onward, trying to leave thoughts of Jadeite behind him. _He is but a child, after all,_ he reasoned. _He doesn_'_t fully realize the consequences that interacting with the Moon_ _could have for Master Endymion—for the Earth as a whole._

The others, though—Nephrite and Kunzite—there was no excuse for them. Kuzite had, as of late, been prone to violent mood swings; he'd be incredulously happy, and then switch to being melancholy with almost no warning. There was no talking to the man, it was ridiculous. Kunzite was the leader of the Shitennou, the Prince's most trusted guardians! How could they fulfill their duty to protect the Master with their leader in such a state?

Nephrite, on the other hand...Zoisite couldn't fathom the man's sudden change. _He had been as opposed to this trip as I! What could have happened to him to make him behave so differently?_ Nephrite, typically the loner of the group, had suddenly become uncharacteristically happy and friendly. Zoisite had also noticed that he had been almost inseparable from the Princess of Mercury.

Come to think of it...Kunzite had seemed rather attached to that girl as well. Zoisite froze in his tracks, suddenly realizing that there could be a correlation between her and Kunzite's mood swings. He clenched his fist. _Those accursed women will have us at each other_'_s throats! _he thought angrily. _This is all that Moon woman_'_s fault!_ If only there was a way to split her and Master Endymion up.

He'd been _trying_ that, though, and it had all been to no avail. He couldn't do this alone, but he had no one left he could turn to.

Before Zoisite had realized it, he was entering an all-too-familiar courtyard. He hadn't even been paying attention to where he was walking; he curse his feet for bringing him back to this place. Already, unwanted memories were resurfacing. Frowning deeply, Zoisite turned to leave, but the sound of an angry voice halted him in his tracks. Quickly, he ducked into the shadows behind one of the large fluted columns, as the Princesses Serenity and Minako entered the courtyard.

"Princess, how many times must I tell you that this cannot continue? Those Earthlings pose nothing but trouble!" Minako was saying, trying to keep her anger in check.

"How many times must _I_ tell _you_?" Serenity replied tersely, her tone uncharacteristically cold. "Endymion and I have already made our decision."

"But, Your Majesty, it could lead the Moon Kingdom to ruin!" Minako vehemently protested.

"It won't!" Serenity argued. "Why can't you let your prejudices go like the others, and just accept that I've found happiness?"

"You are the Princess," Minako snapped. "It is your responsibility to do what's best for your people, not for yourself!" Minako couldn't believe her own forwardness, but she realized that she could no longer afford propriety.

"That's all you see me as, isn't it?" Serenity asked tonelessly. "The _Princess_. Not a person. Not as your friend. Not as myself." The courtyard remained silent for a moment, then Serenity burst out, "That's all _anyone_ sees! No one treats me like a human being! No one but Endymion. He sees me for me. He loves _me_ for who I am! Why don't you think about that every time you try to destroy our happiness?" With that, Serenity stormed out of the courtyard, leaving Minako staring after her.

"_You_ don't understand," Minako said to the empty air, unaware that she was being watched. "It's my duty to protect you, and the subjects of our Kingdom. But how am I to fulfill my mission if you won't listen to me when I say a union between the Earth and the Moon could never exist?" Sighing, she sat on the fountain's edge. "The other Senshi are no help whatsoever, either. How far can I get alone?"

Zoisite listened intently, his brows furrowed. _She and I are both thinking the same thing, _he thought. _As much as I_'_d hate it... _He inhaled, pondering it long and hard. _There_'_s no other alternative, _he decided at last. Purposefully, he stepped out from the shadows. "Venus," he said.

Minako's head shot up, her eyes wide. "You!" she snarled, leaping to her feet.

"Relax. I haven't come to fight this time," he said, walking towards her. "I need to talk to you, as a fellow guardian."

Minako halted in confusion. "A...fellow guardian?"

"Yes," Zoisite said. "Our differences are clear, but I have come to realize that we have one problem in common. A certain matter about the two we protect, and their refusal to accept that they cannot be together."

"Oh, I see," Minako said, nodding, her eyes following his every movement, a look of apprehension clear on her face.

"I have reasoned with Master Endymion endlessly, but to no avail," Zoisite continued, stepping closer to her. "And I see that you're having the same trouble with Princess Serenity."

"Have you been spying on me?" Minako demanded.

"Would you deny what I say?" Zoisite countered, sidestepping her accusation.

Minako bit her lip. "No," she replied quietly.

"Very well then." Zoisite continued to pace the courtyard, Minako watching him like a hawk. "I have another idea as to how to separate them, though; but I cannot accomplish it on my own." His blue eyes locked with hers, penetrating her gaze. Minako felt her heart skip a beat, to her own chagrin. "I need your help," Zoisite finished, a softer tone in his voice.

"What do you have in mind?" Minako asked, refusing to commit to anything just yet.

"You and I both know that this can only end disastrously, but our masters refuse to see it," Zoisite said. "But they won't be able to ignore it when the consequences are right before their eyes."

"What are you suggesting?" Minako asked, furrowing her brow. "Are you saying that we should just let them be? We can't risk that!" she protested.

"Of course not," Zoisite replied. "But what if you and I were to pretend to have accepted their relationship, step back a bit, and allow the gravity of the situation that they have involved themselves in to wash over them?"

Minako nodded, beginning to see where he was going with this. "Once they go public with their engagement, they'll have to deal with outrage from the populace. It won't take them long before they see that we were right, that this will never work out," she agreed. "But what do you need me for?"

"When the uprisings start, it could become dangerous for both the Master and the Princess," Zoisite. "I don't know about the state of the Senshi, but the Shitennou have become just about useless. It's our sworn duty to protect our masters...so I promise that I will help protect Princess Serenity, if you will protect Prince Endymion."

"That's it?" Minako asked suspiciously.

Zoisite smiled. "Almost. You also need to swear that you'll go along with this plan no matter what, and that you won't reveal our true intentions to anyone."

"_Obviously_," Minako said snidely. "And I'm sure you'll swear the same."

"Naturally," Zoisite replied coolly. He held out his hand. "Have we got a deal?"

"Not quite yet," Minako said. "I have one last question." Zoisite looked at her quizzically. "What happens if the outcry isn't strong enough to drive apart the Princess and Endymion?"

"It will be," Zoisite assured her, a meaningful look in his ice-blue eyes. "You and I will make sure of that."

"I see," Minako said. _So if the response of the populace isn_'_t strong enough, he_ _plans for us to... help it_ _along._ She frowned. _This is treasonous, and could be dangerous. _She set her jaw. _But it_'_s essential. There_'_s no alternative. I have to trust him._ She extended her hand and took his. "We have made our pact, before the sacred eyes of the Guardians of the Past. This pact cannot be broken," Minako said solemnly.

"Guardians of the Past?" Zoisite repeated.

Minako gestured to the statues around them. "They are all about us, their eyes eternally watching. The first Princess Serenity's protectors, the current Senshi's ancestors."

_Ah, _Zoisite thought, arching an eyebrow and looking around. _I understand, now, why Venus is_ _here all the time. She looks to her ancestors for guidance. Admirable._ He bowed to her. "Well then, I shall take my leave of you, my newfound ally."

"We have made a bargain, but we are not allies," Minako pointed out. "I still shall not let my guard down."

Zoisite nodded, smiling grimly. "The same goes for me as well. Farewell."

He flourished his cape and strode away. Minako watched as he left, her heart pounding irrationally in his wake. _I have made a most dangerous bargain, with an arrogant, loathsome, untrustworthy man,_ she thought in contempt. She inhaled deeply. _But it was my last resort. What other alternative do I have?_

* * *

"So, how's your embroidery going?" Nephrite asked as he and Ami ambled along on their continued tour of the Moon Kingdom. On this day, they were visiting the library, which was said to be a wonder to behold and contained all the knowledge of the Silver Millennium.

Ami blushed, casting her eye along the landscape. "It's going well," she said shyly. She hadn't wanted to tell him, but it was turning out to be one of her best pieces; and she felt in her heart that the reason for this was that she was suddenly finding herself embroidering _for_ someone. Something about having Nephrite in her life made every experience feel new and exciting.

"It's hard to believe that you're leaving so soon," Ami said, changing the subject in a fluster. "This mon th has really flown by, hasn't it?"

Nephrite nodded, frowning internally. In a few more days, he would be back at home on Earth, something which didn't seem as appealing as it had not long ago. It would be as if his stay on the Moon was just a dream... He looked over at Ami, walking slowly beside him. _This can_'_t be a dream,_ he thought. _So much has changed this month._

Ami looked at him and smiled wistfully. "Maybe next time, the Senshi will visit the Earth. Then I can see your home," she said brightly.

Nephrite smiled back. "I'd like that," he replied. Nervously, averting her eyes, Ami slipped her small hand into Nephrite's larger, gloved one. She felt her pulse quicken at the contact, but relaxed a bit when he squeezed her hand back.

Ami sighed contentedly. _Despite what Minako seems to believe, I know the Princess was wise to bring them here,_ she thought. _The Earth and the Moon people really are more alike than anyone wants to admit. All they need is to learn more about each other, like Nephrite and I did._

"Well, we're here," Ami said a few moments later as she and Nephrite approached a tall building with beautiful architecture. "I've wanted to show you this place for so long!"

"This is your _library_?" Nephrite asked, staring at the building in awe. "It's huge!"

Ami grinned. "Wait until you get inside!" She pulled him though the double doors and into the massive library. His jaw dropped when he saw the giant bookshelves that stretched the length of the tall walls, stuffed with innumerable books. "This is incredible," Nephrite said after a moment.

Ami's grin grew broader. "Well, of course—it's all the knowledge of the entire Moon Kingdom! Over one thousand years' worth of information, from all eight planets in the alliance!"

For several minutes, Nephrite gazed about himself in wonder. There were more books than he had ever seen, on every subject imaginable. He didn't even know where to begin. Then, a thought struck him. "Ami," he said. "Are there any books about the history of the Moon Kingdom?"

"Of course," she replied. "They're this way." She started to walk in that direction, but Nephrite stopped her.

"What about books that discuss the Moon Kingdom's relations with the Earth?" he inquired.

Ami pursed her lips. "_That_'_s_ a bit of a taboo subject," she said. "But I'm sure some of the older volumes might mention it. Why?"

Nephrite glanced around and stepped closer to her. "I have an idea," he said in a low voice. "What if we figured out what _caused_ the rift? If we could determine that, we might be able to find a way to help the Master and the Princess resolve the differences between the Earth and the Moon."

Ami's eyes widened in understanding. "That's a great idea, Nephrite," she agreed. "The first step in solving a dispute is usually to figure out how it started."

Nephrite nodded. "So then, it's decided?"

Ami grinned. "What are we waiting for?"

* * *

Unfortunately, finding any books of value to their cause was proving to be more difficult than they'd anticipated. Ami and Nephrite spent hours combing every book they could find on the history of the Moon Kingdom, but every one skipped over why the Earth had refrained from joining the alliance, and what had caused the rift between the two worlds.

"What I don't understand is why the animosity is so strong if no one even knows why it happened," Nephrite commented as the two discouragedly left the library.

"It was probably something really silly," Ami replied. "People tend to hold onto their irrational prejudices just because they fear change so much. They can be so stubborn!"

_Stubborn, huh?_ Nephrite thought off-handedly. _I know only too well what __**that**_'_**s**__ like. It_'_s just amazing that Ami was able to get past that. She_'_s so..._ he sighed. _I don_'_t know. She softens that part of me, somehow._

"The bigger question is, _why_ is there no record whatsoever? I can't believe that there's no record of interaction with the Earth at all. It's like they want us to think that the Earth doesn't exist at all!" Ami was continuing.

Nephrite scoffed. "Well, I don't see how they could have thought that was possible," he said, gesturing to the glowing blue orb hovering in the sky. "I mean really, didn't they think people were going to notice _that_ hanging in front of their faces?"

"'They'," Am I said quietly.

"Huh?"

"We keep saying 'they.' 'They' don't want us to know what happened. 'They' want to pretend the Earth's not there. Who are 'they'? I think that's the first step in figuring out what's going on here." Nephrite stared at her, not quite sure where she was going with this. "'They' certainly aren't the Princess or Endymion; they _want_ peace. So 'they' must have been someone earlier on."

"One of the earlier rulers," Nephrite reasoned. "Maybe they censored the histories, trying to 'protect' the people?"

"That seems most likely," Ami agreed. "So the question is, have the true histories been completely eradicated? Or did one of the Queens of the past simply remove them from the _public_ libraries?"

Nephrite nodded in comprehension. "Things that 'they' don't want to commoners to know might be more appropriate for the eyes of royalty. There might be some old records in the Palace that Serenity doesn't know about that would have the answer."

"Exactly. It's worth a try, anyway!" Ami exclaimed. "I'll ask Serenity if she will let me take a look around the Palace."

"If you're looking through the records in the Moon Palace, then I'll look in the Earth Palace," Nephrite said. "But let's try to keep what we're doing a secret as best we can."

Ami frowned. "Why?"

Nphrite looked away uncomfortably. "Just in case...someone tries to stop us."

"I see," Ami softly said, looking down. She didn't want to admit it, but it was a possibility. Particularly if Minako were the one to find out. "Very well. We'll keep it a secret, and report on our progress to each other when we meet again."

_When we meet again. _Nephrite smiled. Well, at least with a mission on his hands, perhaps the waiting would be more bearable.

* * *

Kunzite walked briskly down the breezeway, trying to keep the discomfort he was feeling internally from showing on his face. But try as he might, he simply could not rid himself of the pain that had been growing inside him since the night he had seen Ami with Nephrite. He had seen them together often since then, Nephrite always wearing a bashful grin, Ami smiling up at him cheerfully. Kunzite found that if he closed his eyes, he could imagine that she was smiling at _him._

He shook his head. This was between them, and he knew better than to let jealousy overcome him. Nephrite was his comrade, his friend. But still...

"You've made your choice, Ami. Only you can make it," he said quietly, his voice shaking a bit, "But I wish that you had chosen differently."

He looked up and saw Princess Rei of Mars standing a few feet in front of him in the breezeway. "Kunzite," she softly said.

"Good afternoon, Princess," Kunzite replied abruptly, hoping that she had not heard what he had spoken aloud moments before. Deciding that he did not wish to find out, he brushed past her and continued on his way.

Rei watched him go silently, and then turned to look out over the landscape pensively. "Ami," she whispered. "You would never _deliberately_ hurt anyone..." She glanced once more in the direction Kunzite had gone, then set her jaw resolutely. "I'd better have a word with her. I wonder if she realizes what she has done."

* * *

Nephrite was sitting in the shade of one of the orchard's many fruit trees as the afternoon sun drifted through the leaves. Of all the beautiful places in the Moon Kingdom, he had decided this was his favorite. He loved the peace and quiet, the earthy smell of the trees that made him feel like he was home...of course, the fact that this is where he met Ami probably also had something to do with it. He blushed embarrassedly.

Fortunately, Nephrite's thoughts were interrupted just then by a cheerful call. He looked up to see Ami making her way towards him, carrying a basket. "I took a quick look through the library in the Palace," she said as she arranged her skirts and sat down next to Nephrite under the tree. She pulled a worn, nondescript-looking book out of the basket and showed it to him. "This book looked as though it might have a clue, but as you can see..." She opened the book and indicated the seam; the remnants of pages that had been ripped out were still visible.

"I had a feeling that might have happened," Nephrite said, nodding. "If there's anything to be found, it will have to be in the Master's or the Princess's private records."

"Mmm," Ami mumbled her acknowledgment. Sighing, she scooted closer to Nephrite and rested her head wearily on his shoulder. Nephrite's heart skipped a beat, and he nervously put his arm around her. Ami closed her eyes and snuggled closer, and Nephrite felt as though he were glowing inside.

They remained so for a few moments, until the sound of approaching footsteps snapped them from their reveries. Ami opened her eyes and saw Rei standing before her. Startled, she moved quickly away from Nephrite. "Rei...what's the matter?"

"Nothing," Rei said. "I just need to talk to you for a minute. In private."

Ami nodded and got to her feet. She gave Nephrite an apologetic wave and followed Rei away from the shady tree. When they were sufficiently out of earshot, Rei spoke.

"You and Nephrite seem to be getting along well," she said awkwardly, unsure of how to broach the topic.

"Yes," Ami agreed, blushing. "We are."

Rei smiled tentatively. "That's good...but...I was wondering if you had noticed what kind of effect that might be having on Kunzite."

"Kunzite?" Ami repeated, looking confused. "What do you mean? How would it be affecting _him_?"

Rei bit her lip. Ami was making this difficult. Could she truly have not noticed? "Well," she said, "Kunzite's been acting a bit...distant recently...and I was thinking it might have something to do with your relationship with Nephrite."

Ami was taken aback. "Rei...you don't think that Kunzite likes me _that_ way, do you?" she giggled.

"What's so funny?" Rei inquired.

"I'm sorry," Ami said, trying to stifle her smile. "But Kunzite and I are just friends. Truly! He's like an older brother to me. There's no attraction between us, I promise."

Rei frowned. "I'm not so sure, Ami," she said.

Ami grinned. "Well, you should be," she assured her. "I'm positive. Kunzite may be a little preoccupied worrying about the return to Earth, for his Master's safety. We all know we have to be ready for a backlash when the people of Earth learn about Endymion's relationship with the Princess. I'm sure that's all it is!"

Rei looked down. "If you say so..." she said. She looked up and gave Ami a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm sure that all it is." They stood awkwardly for a moment, and then Rei added, "Well, I won't keep Nephrite waiting anymore. I'm sure he's wondering where you went." With that, she turned and left Ami.

_She may be right..._ Rei thought as she walked away. _But still...I know what I saw. I __**know**__ what I sensed. Kunzite... are you really okay with this?_

* * *

"I can't believe that you're leaving tomorrow," Princess Serenity said glumly as she and Endymion strolled through the gardens. "This month has flown by."

"It has," Endymion agreed. He looked at her encouragingly. "But cheer up! We'll be together again soon." Serenity forced a small smile, and Endymion continued, "Next time, you and the Senshi will have to visit _us_ on Earth."

Serenity laughed at that. "I'd like that," she said. "I think the others would, too...except for Mina..." She trailed off, her eyes widening. "Endymion, look!" She pointed.

Endymion looked in the direction Serenity was gesturing in, and blinked in surprise. "Is that who I think it is?"

Sure enough, further down the path and heading their way, were none other than Zoisite and Princess Minako—together.

"I don't believe it," Serenity said, shocked.

* * *

"They've spotted us," Zoisite said in a low voice. "Remember, don't spoil it."

"You don't have to remind me," Minako snapped under her breath. She cast him a sideways glance, noticing his close proximity to her. She felt her heart skip a beat in spite of herself. "And keep your distance," she warned.

"If I keep too much of a distance, they'll be suspicious," Zoisite pointed out.

"I know that!" Minako whispered sharply. "Just...keep your distance _casually_."

Zoisite rolled his eyes, but he could see her point nonetheless. As frustrating as it was to him, being close to her was intoxicating. He couldn't allow himself to fall victim; he was the Shitennou's last hope.

Serenity and Endymion were almost upon them. "Remember Venus—act natural," he warned under his breath. Minako shot him a glare, but did not have time to respond.

"Zoisite, Princess Minako, do my eyes deceive me?" Endymion asked. "I never thought I'd see the two of _you_ together."

Zoisite forced a smile. "Well, Master, we decided that there really was no point for us to continue our animosity towards each other. There's no dissuading you and the Princess, it would seem, so we'd might as well make the best of it."

Zoisite's words grated on Minako's very soul. The very notion of an alliance with this man was repulsive to her, yet here she was in that very position. She suddenly felt ill, but hid her feelings with grace. _I must cope with it_, she reminded herself, _for the good of the mission._

Princess Serenity smiled confusedly. "That _is_ good news," she admitted. "But..." She trailed off.

"Yes, my Princess?" Minako inquired evenly.

Serenity shook her head. "It's nothing," she said. _It_'_s just that...they were both so adamant that Endymion and I be separated. It_'_s so hard to believe that they managed to change their minds and resolve their differences so quickly!_ The Princess then reminded herself of Nephrite and Ami; and of how striking a couple Zoisite and Minako had made when they'd performed. She smiled brightly to herself. _Well, maybe it_'_s not too hard to hope for._

With that pleasant thought in her mind, the Princess continued on her way with Endymion, leaving Zoisite and Minako to watch them go. The two remained silent until the royal couple were safely out of earshot. Then Minako turned to Zoisite and whispered, "Do you think they believed it?"

"It's hard to say," Zoisite murmured, his blue eyes moving to meet hers. "But if we keep this up, they're sure to." Hopefully "keeping it up" wouldn't prove to be too problematic...

"So then," Minako began awkwardly. "What shall we do now?"

"We need to be seen by the others, get everyone accustomed to the idea that we've truly accepted the Princess and the Master...and each other," he added grudgingly. "We need to go someplace public enough that people will see us together, but private enough that no one will overhear what we're saying to each other."

Minako nodded. "I have an idea." She led him back towards the entrance to the gardens and stepped off the path in a grassy area in clear view of the palace. "This should be suitable," she announced, arranging her skirts and seating herself in the grass. "Almost everyone in the palace passes by here at least once a day."

"If you say so," Zoisite smirked, flourishing his cape and sitting next to her. In reality, he agreed that this place was more than suitable, but he felt like being contrary. Something about Venus did that to him.

Minako scowled at him, but remained silent. Zoisite watched her face as she stared at nothing, her scowl softening into a cute pout. He smiled despite himself, and closed his eyes, feeling the sun warm his skin.

"What are we supposed to talk about?" Minako asked, breaking the silence.

"Anything, really," Zoisite said, not opening his eyes. "Just as long as we continue the charade of being friends for anyone who might be watching."

"Right..." Minako said softly. She still felt very bad about deceiving the Princess like this. It went against everything she had dedicated her life to. _But everything I_'_m doing is for her sake, _she reminded herself. Uncomfortably, she shifted from her sitting position to sprawl out on her side, looking down at a blade of grass. _I wish the Princess had never met Endymion. Then I wouldn_'_t be in this situation, and our world would not be in jeopardy._

Zoisite chanced to open his eyes and glance over at her, and instantly regretted it. Minako was lounging like a cat, sprawled relaxedly across the grass. One of the thin straps of her dress had slipped off her shoulder, revealing more of her bare skin. He swallowed hard.

Minako turned her head. "What?" she asked. The spell was broken, and Zoisite chastised himself for thinking about her that way again. It was involuntary, almost natural, every time he was close to her.

"Venus, I must make a request of you," Zoisite said, his voice as level as he could manage. "I'd ask that, in the future, you try to dress more conservatively. The way you are now, you look like a hussy."

Minako's eyes bulged with anger. "What?" she exploded. "How DARE you!" Zoisite winced, lifting a finger to his lips. Minako looked around, noticing that some passing courtiers were staring at them. She smiled nonchalantly at them, then turned back to Zoisite and whispered furiously, "How I choose to dress is none of _your_ affair! Why does my attire concern _you_ so much, anyway?"

Zoisite found he couldn't provide a logical answer for that. "It just...bothers me," he stammered. _I sound like a fool,_ he thought bitterly.

Minako furrowed her brows angrily. She was insulted at the remark he had made about the way she was dressed, of course; but more infuriatingly, she had just moments before been thinking to herself how handsome he looked sitting there in the sunlight. _**Handsome**__? That arrogant pig? How could I have even __**considered**__ such a thing? I must be feverish. _She adjusted the strap of her gown. _I do not dress like a hussy! ...Do I?_

The two sat in silence for several moments more. Zoisite felt inexplicably guilty. Venus had taken extreme offense to his words; but still, if he was going to be forced to be in close quarters with her for an indefinite period, she needed to cover herself up more. Otherwise, how else could he be expected to concentrate?

At last, Minako turned her head and looked at him. "So, what will we do next?" she asked, opting to change the subject.

"Watch and wait, I suppose," Zoisite said. "Once everyone had accepted 'us,' it won't look suspicious when we make our next move."

_You have no idea what you_'_re doing, _Minako thought sourly. _You_'_re just making it up as you go._ She frowned. _Not that I_'_m any better._ _I don_'_t like it, not one bit. _Aloud, she said, "Just as long as the Princess doesn't get hurt."

"I will make sure of that," Zoisite reassured her. Minako was taken aback by the tone in his voice. It sounded almost...friendly. Before she had time to consider that, Zoisite got to his feet and said, "I think that's enough for today."

Minako blinked and stared up at him. "Already? We've only been sitting here for ten minutes! Do you really think enough people saw us?"

"The _important_ people saw us," he said hastily, taking her hand and helping her to her feet. He just needed to get away from her. He couldn't stomach how emotional he was becoming in her presence.

"Um, Zoisite?" Minako said. "You can let go of my hand now." Startled, he looked down and saw that his gloved hand was still clutching hers. He dropped it quickly, his face hot. "My apologies," he said, turning on his heel and striding swiftly away, muttering incomprehensibly to himself.

Minako watched him go, then returned to her own quarters in silent confusion. Once safely inside the confinement of her apartment, she sighed, smoothing her skirt, and looked into the mirror hanging on the wall of her parlor. _Do I really dress like a hussy? _she thought in despair. She fingered her thin straps; suddenly, she felt her eyes stinging. _Ignore him, _she thought._ He_'_s just trying to get to you. _She looked back at her reflection. _And succeeding._

The next day, Serenity and her court were bidding Endymion and the Shitennou farewell. As Serenity and Endymion lingered in each other's arms, Zoisite caught Minako's eye. They nodded cordially at one another, but said nothing aloud.

Ami approached Kunzite, smiling broadly. "Goodbye, my friend," she said, hugging him warmly. "I shall miss you!" Kunzite closed his eyes, deeply inhaling her scent and trying to make this moment last as long as he could. For this moment, she was his alone. "My thoughts shall never leave you," he told her softly.

A moment later, it was over; Ami pulled away from the embrace, flashing him one last dazzling smile and turning to Nephrite, who had been watching with a slightly irked expression. However, when Nephrite's eyes met hers, he felt any semblance of jealousy melt away. Her gaze was open, and reflected feelings only for him. How could he be envious of Kunzite's friendship with her when he had so much more?

"Well...goodbye, Nephrite," Ami murmured awkwardly.

"I'll see you soon, Ami," he replied, gently squeezing her hand. Blushing furiously, Ami turned to rejoin the Senshi.

"That's it?" Jadeite whispered to Nephrite in surprise. "I was expecting something like..." He gestured to Serenity and Endymion.

"I don't know where you would have gotten that idea," Nephrite said, coloring and looking away. _**That**__ was last night,_ he added internally, smiling surreptitiously. Jadeite rolled his eyes and poked the redheaded general in the ribs, chuckling jovially.

Rei watched Kunzite from the corner of her eye. The Shitennou's leader was looking from Nephrite to Ami, his gaze unreadable. She could sense the jealousy and pain emanating from Kunzite's form, read the animosity building inside him towards Nephrite as clear as day. Ami claimed he just thought of her as a friend...how could she not see this?

Trying to block it out of her mind, she turned her attention to Minako, who was standing to Makoto's left. To her surprise, Minako and Zoisite's gazes were fixed on each other. Rei could sense an intense aura emanating from them, but found she couldn't read its nature. She bit her lip. _My spiritual powers sometimes feel like a curse, not a blessing,_ she thought in frustration. Ever since the Earthlings had first arrived in the Moon Kingdom, everyone had been behaving strangely, although no one would admit to it. She cast a glance towards Makoto, the only one who seemed to be unaffected. Rei would need to talk to her about this as soon as she got a free moment...

Rei did not have time to ponder this further, as, at long last, Serenity and Endymion pulled apart. "I shall miss you, my love," Serenity said sadly.

"As will I, you," Endymion replied. He smiled half-heartedly. "We'll be together again soon, though."

Serenity smiled back. "We will," she said. The Princess stepped back, looking to the Senshi in their formation around her. They extended their arms, and a warm light began to emanate from their hands. The light grew brighter and brighter until, in a flash of brilliance, the Earth men disappeared.

* * *

Beryl sat alone on a bench in one of the more remote gardens adjacent to the Earth Palace. She sighed in a melancholy tone. "I wish Endymion would return," she said to no one in particular. "Every day, I come here, and all anyone can tell me is that he isn't back yet." Sighing again, she flopped back onto the bench, her hair cascading around her like a pillow. "Where could he have gone without anyone knowing about it?" she wondered aloud. _And why didn_'_t he tell me that he was leaving?_

She lay there in silence several moments more, staring up at the sky, the wind blowing over her, rustling her skirts and tugging at her hair. Suddenly, the sky lit up with a brilliant flash, exploding from the moon above. It lasted only a split second, but Beryl abruptly sat up, startled. She looked around, but nothing seemed to be out of order. "What was that?" she asked the air. "I couldn't have imagined that! And it came from the Moon..."

Swiftly, Beryl rose to her feet and headed towards the Earth Palace.

* * *

Zoisite opened his eyes and inhaled deeply. At last, they were home on Earth. He was gratedul to leave that hateful Moon Kingdom behind, though he knew he would not be able to forget about it for long.

"Well, we're home," Endymion said, smiling at his comrades.

"Yeah," Jadeite said softly. "I miss the ice cream already." Endymion and Nephrite laughed; even Zoisite allowed a small smile, but Kunzite, seeming distracted, merely scowled.

"We may as well get back to the Palace and see what we missed while we were gone," Endymion said, not noticing Kunzite's preoccupation. The quicker he got back to his duties, the less his mind would wander to Serenity, and their separation would feel less painful.

The five began to stride across the field towards the Palace. Kunzite walked at a quickened pace, still scowling. Zoisite, at Endymion's side, frowned. _We may be home, but it looks as though the problems from the Moon Kingdom has followed us back to Earth. I was right; Serenity and Master Endymion_'_s marriage will bring nothing but disunion and ruin. _He sighed._ I shall have to remain faithful to my bargain with Venus after all._

Kunzite irritably turned to Nephrite and Jadeite, who were walking a few feet behind the others, immersed in conversation. "Nephrite, Jadeite, don't lag behind," he snapped.

Nephrite looked up at Kunzite in surprise, unaccustomed to being spoken to this way by his leader. "We were just talking," he said.

"Your 'talking' is holding the group back," Kunzite replied curtly.

"Kunzite!" Endymion said in surprise, but the dark-haired general had already turned and stalked off.

"What's _his_ problem?" Jadeite grumbled.

Zoisite grimaced. _We are already falling apart,_ he thought in disgust. _How much longer will we hold out before it all comes to ruin?_

Just then, the men heard a voice call, "Endymion!" They turned to see a young woman with long red-brown hair waving to them.

"Beryl," Endymion acknowledged as she hurried towards them. The three remaining Shitennou bowed politely at the noblewoman.

Beryl smiled when she reached them. "Endymion, I have missed you!" she exclaimed. "You didn't tell me that you were going away."

Endymion smiled halfheartedly. "Yes, well..." He shrugged.

Beryl's face fell a tad. "Oh..." She smiled anew, changing the subject. "Where have you been, my lord?"

"I'm afraid my location must, for the moment, remain confidential," Endymion replied.

"You couldn't make an exception, even for an old friend like me?" Beryl prodded.

"I'd love to tell you all about, Beryl, but I simply haven't the time," Endymion said. "Zoisite and I have some urgent business to attend to." He gestured to the silver-haired man, and the two quickly made their escape with Nephrite following quickly behind, leaving Beryl staring after them.

"My deepest apologies on behalf of the Master, Lady Beryl," Jadeite spoke up. Beryl jumped; she hadn't noticed the youngest of the Shitennou at her side.

"It's all right, Jadeite," Beryl said, forcing a small smile. "I could see that his majesty was preoccupied." Sighing a bit, she fell in step with the young man, and they made their way back towards the Palace at a leisurely place.

"How have you been in our absence, Lady Beryl?" Jadeite inquired, his face tinged lightly pink.

"Dismally bored," Beryl said with a small pout. "Can _you_ tell me where you all have been?"

"I'm afraid not," Jadeite replied. Seeing her crestfallen expression, he quickly added, "Rest assured, my lady, you will not have to be in suspense much longer. I believe Master Endymion is planning to make a public announcement regarding the matter in the near future."

"I see," Beryl sais, nodding. _What is Endymion up to?_ she wondered in frustration. Not knowing was deeply bothering her. Still, it was obvious that she would learn nothing else of importance today. "I'll see you later, Jadeite," she said distractedly, heading on her way.

Jadeite watched her go, then hastened towards the Palace. He found Nephrite standing at the top of the steps, waiting for him. "I see our stay on the Moon has done nothing to quell your crush on Lady Beryl," he said teasingly.

Jadeite's already pink cheeks flushed to a deep shade of red. "You're full of it," he protested, climbing the steps two at a time.

"Am I really?" Nephrite mocked, falling into step beside him.

Jadeite looked down, his face burning. "Well, it doesn't really matter, does it? She's in love with Master Endymion."

"Yes, but Master Endymion is _not_ in love with her," Nephrite pointed out.

Jadeite shook his head. "But why should she choose me over the Prince? I have nothing to offer her."

Nephrite stopped in his tracks and looked seriously at his friend. "I don't think that's the case, Jadeite," he said, all tone of joking gone from his voice. "You have a lot to offer Beryl. You just have to find the courage to _show_ her."

Jadeite's jaw dropped slightly. "Wow, Nephrite...I've never heard you say anything like _that_ before," he said. "What has Sailor Mercury _done_ to you?"

It was Nephrite's turn to blush now. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Jadeite stared at him a moment, then burst out laughing. Nephrite soon followed suit, and the two, chuckling jovially, continued on their way into the Palace.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six  
Discovered**

"But, my princess, I fear you are not paying attention," the voice of Serenity's chief political advisor, Egeria, cut through her daydream. Serenity blinked, brought back to reality. Now that Endymion had left, life on the Moon had returned to its usual hum-drum pace. The Princess's council, which had taken a recess for the Millennial festivities, was back in full swing, with a mile-long list of business requiring Serenity's attention that had piled up over the break.

Serenity sighed and looked at the older woman, who had been an advisor to Serenity's mother before she died, with an expression of chagrin. "You're right, Egeria. I was a bit distracted. Could you repeat that?"

Egeria shook her head, stepping closer to quietly reprimand the princess. "Your highness, I understand that you are probably still tired from the hectic month we've had. But you must remember, your first priority must always be your royal duties. In two short years, you will be crowned Queen and sovereign in your own right. You will no longer be able to rely on me and your other regents to make your decisions for you. You must start taking some responsibility now!"

"I understand, Egeria," Serenity said placatingly. She had heard this speech so many times that she could probably have recited it in time with her, but she daren't point this out for fear that she'd get _another_ lecture. "I will strive to do better."

From her position to the side of Serenity's throne, Makoto leaned surreptitiously toward Ami. "That's the third time Serenity's spaced out during just this session," she whispered, suppressing a giggle. "I bet she'll do it at least two more times before it's over."

Ami grinned, whispering back, "She just misses Endymion. She'll be back to normal in a day or two."

Makoto smirked at her. "But what about you?"

Ami reddened, but didn't respond, her attention instead returning to the report Egeria was giving. "Pluto has sent their approval to your proposal of introducing Earth into the union. However, they stipulate that Earth be admitted on a probationary basis before full membership is granted, to ensure that the Earthlings do not overstep any boundaries that would threaten the union," Egeria read.

"Excellent!" Serenity burst excitedly. "That only leaves Uranus and Neptune to approve the motion!"

"Indeed your highness," Egeria replied. "In their message, the Plutonians stated that they were initially wary of the proposal, based on our past history with Earth. However, they changed their opinion after meeting Prince Endymion and his vassals at the Millennium Ball."

"I knew that would work!" Serenity exclaimed gleefully. "I _knew_ that once they met him, they would realize the truth!" The Princess could scarcely control her elation. The reaction among the Senshi, however, was more mixed. To the side of Serenity's throne, Minako struggled to conceal her disappointment and annoyance. She knew the Plutonians' concern was well-founded, but would probationary status do any good? Once the Earthlings had access to the Moon Kingdom and the Planetary Alliance, it might be too late to stop the impending disaster. Was everyone except Minako _blind?_

No. Zoisite wasn't. Zoisite understood. But what good did _that_ do her? And thinking of him just made her blood boil. She tried to push him out of her mind.

Meanwhile, Ami's thoughts were preoccupied with the Plutonians' stipulation. _'Based on our past history with Earth,' _she repeated internally. _There it is once again. Every person I know, every planet in the union is referencing this mysterious event in the past. It influences every aspect of our lives. And yet no one knows what it is. How? Why? _She set her jaw. _I have to find out. It's essential._

She leaned closer to Makoto. "I need to talk to you when the council lets out," Ami whispered.

"Okay. What about?" Makoto asked.

"I need your help with something."

Makoto nodded, and turned her attention back to Egeria, who seemed to be near the end of her report. "Our last order of business, Highness, is that our astronomers have reported that the Comet of the Ethereals will be passing through our system in just a few weeks."

A ripple of excitement emanated through the room. "That's wonderful news!" Serenity said. "Have the Ethereals been in contact yet?"

"Not yet, my princess," Egeria replied. "But there can be no doubt that they intend to pay a visit to your court. The Princess of the Moon is a special favorite of the beings of Etherea."

Serenity beamed. "We shall have to be well-prepared for them, then! We must begin making provisions for their stay immediately."

"I shall see to it, your highness," Egeria agreed.

"Very well," Serenity said. "Then I call this session of the Council of the Moon to a close. Egeria, if you will accompany me, I would like to begin those preparations now." She rose, and the Senshi filed out of the room behind her.

* * *

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Makoto asked, taking Ami aside after Serenity and Egeria had departed. "You said you needed my help."

"I do. You heard what Egeria said in the report about Pluto?"

"Yeah, I think it's great that Pluto agreed to Earth entering the union. We're almost at a unanimous vote now," Makoto replied.

"Yes, but she also said that they wanted to admit them on a probationary basis, because of our 'past history with Earth,' right?" Ami prodded.

"Yeah, so?"

"So, what _is_ that past history, Mako? Do you know?"

Makoto opened her mouth to answer, but paused, considering. At last, she said, "Not really."

"Exactly!" Ami exclaimed. "No one does! Don't you think that's strange?"

"It is, now that you mention it," Makoto admitted.

"Nephrite and I did a lot of talking about this before he left, and we think that the key to ending this feud once and for all is to find out what _caused_ it. But we looked all over the library and we found nothing," Ami explained. "So we're thinking that if an account exists anywhere, it must be hidden somewhere in the palace."

Makoto nodded pensively. "That makes sense. So you want me to help you look?"

"Yes," Ami replied.

"All right then. Let's go."

* * *

As Ami and Makoto scurried off to search the palace, Rei was accompanying Minako back to her apartment. "It's so exciting that the Ethereals are returning, isn't it?" Rei said conversationally.

"Yeah," Minako blandly replied.

Rei scoffed. "That's it? I thought you'd have at least a _little_ more enthusiasm. Aren't you looking forward to seeing Artemis again?" She gave Minako an appraising glance. "You're mad that Pluto approved the motion, aren't you?"

Minako looked at her hard. "Aren't you even the _slightest_ bit concerned that this could work out really badly?"

"Not particularly," Rei said breezily. "Unlike _some_ people, I don't fear change."

Minako spluttered indignantly. "That's not what this is about! There's more to it than fear of change!"

"If you say so, Minako," Rei replied skeptically. Then she smiled. "Anyway, you don't have to start worrying just yet. After all, Uranus and Neptune have yet to approve the motion. We need a unanimous vote from all the planets in the union. You know perfectly well that those two aren't going to be an easy sell."

"Maybe not," Minako agreed, trying to summon back some optimism. She glanced out the window of the hallway as they walked, and caught a glimpse of her own reflection. She stopped, looking over her appearance this way and that. Rei watched in amusement as Minako began furiously adjusting her dress, pulling at the skirt, tugging on the bodice, pushing the sleeves higher up on her shoulders.

"What are you doing?" Rei snickered after a moment.

"Nothing," Minako hastily replied, dropping her hands. She appraised her reflection another moment, before erupting, "That _man_!"

Rei started. "What man? Mina, what are you talking about?"

Minako blushed. "No one. Never mind." She kept walking, looking down at her feet.

"I will not never mind!" Rei snapped in reply. "What is your problem recently? You've been acting completely insane, and you'll never tell me what's wrong! I can't stand it!"

Minako stopped in her tracks, looking up at Rei guiltily. "Rei... I'm sorry. I'm not being fair to you."

"Minako, did something happen between you and Zoisite?" Rei asked pointedly.

Minako's heart leapt into her throat. _She knows_, she thought, _she knows what I'm doing._ But she quickly pushed that out of her mind. _That's ridiculous. She can't know anything. Even her spiritual powers don't show her that much detail._ She forced a smile. "Of course not! You're reading too much into everything."

Rei shrugged. Perhaps she _was_ overanalyzing things. Still, she had felt something between them the day Endymion left, she was sure of it! "Maybe," she acknowledged. "But it just seems like ever since they came here, you've been acting so strangely… I thought it might have something to do with him. I mean, you two were at each other's throats, and suddenly I see you strolling through the gardens together—" Minako was avoiding her eyes now— "And just before they left, I sensed a strange aura coming off the two of you."

Minako turned, looking back out the window. After several moments' silence, Rei said softly, "Minako," she said softly. "Don't let that man get to you. I don't know what he said to you, but just forget it. You're better than that."

Minako smiled. "I know, Rei," she said. "But really, you've got it all wrong. It's nothing like that."

"Of course not," Rei agreed, still not feeling entirely convinced. "Just remember… I'm here for you, no matter what."

* * *

Hours later, Makoto slumped, exhausted, into a plush armchair in the last of the many studies that she and Ami had spent the morning searching. "I don't think there's a single inch of this place that we haven't searched yet," she sighed. "I'm beginning to think that if any documents about the Earth ever existed, they've been destroyed by now."

Ami sank into the chair across from her. "You're probably right," she acknowledged in despair.

"But the question is, why? Why would that have happened?" Makoto wondered. "I had never even thought about it before, but now I can't let it go. What could be so dangerous to know that our ancestors would keep it from us?"

Ami shook her head, wondering the same thing. Then, without warning, realization dawned her. "Our ancestors," she repeated.

"What?"

"Mako, I just had a thought. Not even a thought, really... more a _feeling_. My ancestor, Princess Mariel..."

"The first Sailor Mercury?"

"Yes, but she was more than that: she was also the first official archivist of the Moon Kingdom." Ami leapt to her feet. "And I have a hunch that she holds the key to unlocking this mystery."

* * *

Serenity stood on the balcony outside her chambers, taking in the afternoon sun. The excitement of planning for the Ethereals' return had worn off, leaving a familiar emptiness in its wake.

_I wish Endymion was here,_ Serenity thought sullenly. _I want to tell him about the Ethereals._ She closed her eyes, imagining his reaction. Endymion was so fascinated by the other worlds that he had never able to come in contact with on Earth. She could picture his excited face in her mind, hear the excited questions he would ask... Endymion had a way of making a life that had always seemed so ordinary to Serenity into something wonderful and exciting.

Serenity wandered back into her chambers, turning to her constant companion in times of loneliness: her harp. Playing it always helped her think clearly, and its music had a way of filling the empty space and making her feel less alone.

She began plucking the strings listlessly. "No one understands me the way Endymion does," she sighed to herself. "I love my friends, but... to them, I'll always be the Princess first. No one sees me as myself. No one except him." She looked forlornly out the wide double doors at the immense blue and green orb hovering in the sky. "I wish I could see him."

An idea flashed through Serenity's mind just then, a memory of times past, before anyone else had known about Endymion. She looked around her empty chamber. _There's no one around to see me do it,_ she thought. _If I'm back before nightfall, maybe no one will miss me..._

Serenity smiled deviously. _Endymion... I'll be with you soon.  
_

* * *

Ami and Makoto stood in the midst of the deserted courtyard. In its center stood the large fountain; surrounding it were life-sized sculptures of the original five Guardians of the Moon Kingdom.

"Well, we're here," Makoto said. "What kind of clue are we hoping to find here?" She looked around curiously at the familiar faces of the ancient Senshi.

"I don't know," Ami admitted, beginning to feel a bit silly for having followed this hunch in the first place. "I was hoping Mariel would give me a sign of some sort." She looked down, embarrassed.

Makoto leveled her gaze at Ami for a moment. Then, setting her shoulders, she said, "Well, if you feel so strongly, maybe that's a sign in and of itself." She approached the statue of Mariel and began inspecting it for anything unusual that may have gone detected for all these centuries.

Ami watched her uncertainly. _Did you lead me here, Mariel?_ she wondered. _If so, why? Please, help me._

As Makoto moved behind the statue, Ami gazed into its blank, expressionless eyes. Then her eyes traveled down, taking in the sculpture's pose as a whole. In one hand, Mariel grasped her famous bow; in the other, she held a book clutched to her heart. It symbolized her dual role as warrior and scholar. Suddenly, Ami felt drawn to the book in Mariel's hand. Slowly, she moved toward the statue.

"I don't see anything," Makoto said, coming back around the statue just as Ami lifted her hand, almost in a trance, and touched the book. As her fingers brushed against it, both Ami and the statue began to glow with an unearthly blue light. Makoto gasped as the glimmering symbol for the planet Mercury appeared on the sculpture's forehead, as if acknowledging Ami as Mariel's heir. Then the ground began to shake. Makoto struggled to keep her balance as, suddenly, the fountain in the courtyard's center began to move. As it shifted, a staircase leading down into a tunnel beneath the Palace gardens was revealed.

As the movement ceased, the glowing light subsided and Ami fell out of her trance. Blinking to regain her focus, she and Makoto stared, astounded, int the dark passageway.

"Wow," Makoto breathed. "I... I'd say that counts as a sign."

"Definitely," Ami agreed, her heart still pounding from the strange encounter with the statue. She'd had no idea that her powers were connected to Mariel's like that. It was a bit unnerving.

"So... should we find out what's down there?" Makoto suggested at last.

Ami nodded. "Can you make a light?" she asked.

"I think so," Makoto affirmed. She concentrated a moment, holding out her hand. A small orb of crackling, luminescent electricity began to form there. "I should be able to hold that long enough," she said.

"Then let's go." Ami and Makoto cautiously began their descent into the mysterious passageway, where none had tread for possibly a thousand years.

At the bottom of the stairs, the girls came to a short hallway. Ensconced upon the wall was an ancient torch. Makoto transferred her ball of energy to the end of it, and the torch roared to life. She grinned. "I can start a fire _almost_ as well as Rei!" she joked.

The hallway didn't stretch very far before opening into a medium-sized room lined with bookshelves. Against the far wall, there stood an immense writing desk. Ami approached the desk curiously. There was a piece of inscribed parchment laying upon it. Gently, Ami lifted the note. It was archaically written, but she could decipher it.

"_To the finder of this letter,_

"_I know not how many years will have passed from the time I write this until the time you read it. Yet I know that, despite how many generations apart we are, you and I are of a kindred spirit, for this room will only reveal its secrets to my true heir._

"_This study houses the information you require. It is the true account of the formation of the Moon Kingdom, the betrayal of the Earth, and of the Great Evil that nearly tore us apart. _

"_It was decided that this information must be withheld from the populace, for we know that the temptation of the Great Evil is extremely potent, and it is imperative that this power remain sealed for the protection of our union._

"_However, even the mighty Queen Serenity could not keep this seal in place forever. Your very presence, dear reader, means that the seal has weakened, and the Moon is in danger once again. You must use the information you will find here to prevent the cataclysm that will surely befall our people if the Great Evil is unleashed._

"_Read, and learn. The fate of the Moon Kingdom is in your hands._

"_Mariel of Mercury, Archivist of the Moon Kingdom."_

When Ami finished reading, she and Makoto stood in stunned silence. At last, Makoto spoke. "That... is not the sort of thing I was expecting to find."

"Me, either," Ami agreed, replacing the parchment on the desk with shaking hands. "This... Great Evil she speaks of... I've never heard of such a thing!"

"But it seems to be connected to the 'Earth's betrayal'," Makoto replied. "I guess if we want to know more, we'll have to read some of these books." She looked around at the many shelves, daunted. "But where to begin?"

Ami inspected a row of books more closely. She pulled a tome from its shelf. Its spine read, _Chronicles of the Moon Kingdom, Volume 1._"I suppose we should start at the beginning," she said, handing Makoto another volume. "It's going to be a long day."

* * *

In the end, they weren't there so long after all. The light from the torch proved difficult to read by, and it turned out that the archaic writing style of the ancients was even more difficult to decipher. Ami, who in her capacity as current archivist of the kingdom was learned in the ancient tongue, had an easier time of it than Makoto. In the end, it was decided that Ami would take the first few chronicles back to the palace with her to see if she could find anything important.

This was how Makoto found herself wandering the palace gardens that afternoon, frustrated at how little she'd been able to help, despite how close they'd been to learning the truth.

She rounded a corner, lost in her thoughts, and nearly walked headlong into Rei. "Oh, sorry," she apologized as the two laughed. "I didn't see you at first! I was preoccupied."

"You're not the only one," Rei said knowingly.

"Is something wrong?" Makoto asked.

"Mmm... not exactly. I was just thinking about how much everything has changed since those men were here," Rei admitted.

"How so?"

"It's... not something I can really put into words," Rei said at last. "It's just a feeling."

"Like your powers?"

"Yeah. Everyone's auras have been in so much turmoil." She sighed. "But no one seems to be noticing it besides me."

"Well, what about Minako?" Makoto asked.

"She's the worst one!" Rei bemoaned. "She has been acting so strange recently."

"She's probably still tense because no one else has a problem with Serenity marrying Endymion," Makoto suggested. "I bet Pluto's approval probably really made her mad."

"I don't think that's all there is to it," Rei said pensively. "I sensed a strange aura between her and Zoisite just before the Earth men left."

Makoto nearly choked. "Are you serious? Minako and _Zoisite_?"

"I don't think it's romantic," Rei clarified. "It feels...different. Like they're up to something."

"What could the two of them be 'up to,' though?" Makoto asked, her tone dubious.

"I don't know!" Rei cried in frustration. Makoto looked at her concernedly as she inhaled and then continued, quietly. "I know it doesn't make any sense. I feel like I'm losing it. Everyone is telling me one thing, but their auras say something different. Ever since those men came, I haven't been able to read anyone clearly. It's all just a jumbled mess, and trying to sort it out makes my head spin!" Her voice broke as she added, "I wish there was some way I could just turn my power off."

"Rei," Makoto began, her face etched with worry, but the Princess of Mars turned away, gazing off into the distance.

"I heard the Princess playing her harp earlier," Rei said at last, changing the subject.

"Oh, dear," Makoto replied, her heart sinking. "I would have thought that the news about the Ethereals would put her in a good mood."

"It would have, before she knew Endymion," Rei replied. "Everything has changed since he came into the picture. I thought the change would be good, but now I'm starting to wonder..." She trailed off, then turned back to face Makoto. "Never mind. Now you know what I was thinking about. How about you? What has you so preoccupied?"

"Oh," Makoto said, turning red. "Actually, this has to do with the Earth, too," she admitted.

"Why am I not surprised?" Rei said with a wry smile. "Well, what is it?"

"Ami and I have been trying to find out more about the cause of the rift between the Earth and the Moon," Makoto explained. "We spent the day searching the palace for any record of it."

"Oh?" Rei responded. "I'd be interested to know about that myself. Did you find anything?"

"Not exactly," Makoto replied hesitantly, not sure if she should say anything about Mariel's study. She decided that this was Ami's secret to tell, not hers. "I'll let you know if we learn anything, though."

Rei looked at her curiously for a moment, then nodded. As the two continued toward the palace, Rei thought to herself, _There it is again. It feels like everyone is keeping something from me these days. Maybe it really is just my imagination, after all..._

* * *

The Mystical Silver Crystal was a very small object for one so powerful, Serenity had often remarked to herself. Though, truth be told, the Princess reminded herself, she knew very little about the extent of the Crystal's powers. She knew that it somehow kept the planets in balance, sustaining life where it otherwise might not be possible. She knew that it had the power to transport life forms all over the galaxy in a matter of moments; this was the power she'd been most interested in as a child, and what had ultimately enabled her to meet Endymion. And

she knew that its care had been entrusted to Queen Serenity in the early days of the Silver Millennium, and that this responsibility had been passed down from mother to daughter throughout the generations. Had her mother lived longer, Princess Serenity supposed that her own mother would have taught her more about the intricacies of the Crystal and its powers.

But she hadn't. Illness had struck the queen swiftly and suddenly when the Princess was only fourteen. And that was how Serenity knew that the Crystal's powers weren't limitless: they hadn't been able to save her mother's life.

Serenity pushed that painful thought out of her mind. Now wasn't the time for that. Surreptitiously, the princess had made her way to the tower in which the Crystal was kept. Now, she removed the jewel from its pedestal. No one would miss it for a few hours. They never had before. Clasping the small gem in the palm of her hand, Serenity closed her eyes as she'd done so often, and thought of nothing but the Earth: its warm, fragrant breezes, its soft grasses. She felt a familiar tingling sensation, and when she opened her eyes, she was there.

Serenity smiled broadly as she took in her surroundings. She could see the Earth palace's towers gleaming in the distance, so different from the Moon and yet so similar at once. She remembered how much she'd been struck by it the first time she saw it, one year ago. Grinning nostalgically, Serenity recalled her seventeen-year-old self, fed up of the hum-drum daily routine of royal duties and longing for an adventure. She had always been desperate to know about the planet that her own world revolved around, and yet was forbidden to her. She was also aching with curiosity to see if the power of the Crystal could fulfil her dream, as she'd suspected it could. So one day, she'd finally tried it. Little had she known then that the forbidden world was the home of a young man who'd had the same dreams as her, and who would change her life forever.

Serenity's heart fluttered at the memory, shaking her from her reverie. Excitedly, she hurried towards the looming building. It was a warm day, and she had a feeling she knew exactly where to find Endymion.

* * *

At this time of the afternoon, Endymion and the Shitennou were usually having their practice sessions. After all, it was crucial that the future king of the Earth and his guardians remain in top shape. But this warm day wasn't meant to be spent in tedious training exercises. Still in high spirits from their trip to the Moon, Jadeite and Nephrite had trouble keeping their focus; and even Kunzite agreed that perhaps one day of training could be sacrificed.

Indeed, the leader of the Shitennou found that just by being back home, in his normal routine and away from a certain Mercurian princess, his bad temper had dissipated. It all seemed almost like a dream. He was having trouble believing that he'd allowed a woman to stir such feelings of animosity toward his friend and comrade. The whole thing seemed a bit silly in retrospect.

At least, that's what he was telling himself.

Thus, Kunzite found himself overseeing a friendly contest between the Prince and the Shitennou, a test of strength. As he, Zoisite, and Endymion watched in amusement, Jadeite and Nephrite squared off in an arm-wrestling match. "Don't lose to him, Jadeite!" Kunzite goaded, grinning. "Go for it! Hang in there!"

"Shut up, Kunzite!" Nephrite laughed through gritted teeth as he stalwartly resisted Jadeite's arm.

Zoisite glanced at Kunzite, relieved that his antagonism towards Nephrite seemed to be good-natured. Perhaps the damage wasn't irreparable.

After a few more moments, Nephrite ultimately slammed Jadeite's hand down on the table. "I did it!" he proclaimed, laughing and turning to Zoisite, who slapped him high five.

"You did!" Zoisite commended him enthusiastically.

"All right, Nephrite, so you were able to best Jadeite," Endymion said. "But what about me?"

"Ohhh," the other men hooted at the challenge.

Nephrite grinned. "May the best man win," he said, extending his arm. "I won't go easy on you, Master."

"The same goes for me," Endymion replied. With that, the match began. Nephrite gave a valiant effort, but in the end, Endymion proved too strong for him.

"Don't take it too hard," Kunzite teased as Nephrite nursed his wounded pride.

"Yeah, the Master's just the best!" Jadeite added, looking up at the prince admiringly. Endymion smiled broadly in return.

_Wonderful,_ Zoisite thought proudly. _Our bonds of brotherhood are growing ever stronger. Surely the Master must see that this is more important than..._

"Endymion!" a female voice interrupted Zoisite's thought. Horrified, he turned to see his worst fear made reality: Princess Serenity was approaching the group from across the field, waving brightly.

_What is she doing here? _Zoisite thought, enraged. _How did Venus let her slip away? Isn't she doing anything at all to keep an eye on her princess?_

"Serenity!" Endymion cried in surprise. He hurried over to embrace her. "What are you doing here?"

"I know we hadn't planned to meet again so soon," Serenity said, blushing lightly. "But I had some important news that I wanted to share with you, so I thought I might pay you a short visit."

"Of course," Endymion said, taking her arm. He looked to his vassals. "I hope you won't mind if I leave you gentlemen for the time being."

"Certainly, Master," Kunzite said at last. He felt taken aback, although he wasn't quite sure why. Serenity's surprise visits were certainly nothing new. She'd been showing up often and unexpectedly for at least a year now, and it wasn't until recently that anyone but Kunzite had been privy to that secret. After covering up for them for all these months, Kunzite would have thought nothing would surprise him anymore. He wondered blandly if the introduction of a certain blue-haired soldier into his life had anything to do with these more volatile emotions. Probably, but that was not a train of thought Kunzite cared to follow at the moment.

The prince's four guardians watched as their master led Serenity out of the clearing towards the palace. "Well... I think that's enough for today," Kunzite finally said to the others.

"I agree," Zoisite stated. "I've suddenly lost my appetite for sport."

* * *

"So, what's this important news you wanted to tell me?" Endymion asked, leading Serenity to a bench and sitting beside her.

"It's kind of a long story," Serenity warned, her cheeks pinkening.

"Well, you came all this way, so you might as well tell it," Endymion taunted, grinning despite himself.

Serenity's blush deepened and she swatted his arm. "Well, if you insist," she giggled. She was amazed that after all this time, Endymion's presence still managed to make her tongue twist in knots. But she pressed on, "Have you ever heard me mention the Ethereals?"

Endymion's grin faded into an expression of serious interest. "No. Are they a part of the Moon Kingdom?"

"Not exactly," Serenity replied. "They're allies of our union, but they aren't official members... mostly because they don't actually live on a planet."

Endymion's eyes widened. "What?"

The Princess sat up straighter, delighted that her story had so caught Endymion's interest. "The Ethereals are spirit beings... actually, more like energy beings. They live on a comet that travels through the galaxy, only passing through our galaxy every few years. So we don't see them all that often. And," she added, relishing her role as storyteller to such a captive audience, "They're shape shifters."

Endymion's eyebrows flew up at that. "You mean, they can take _any_ form they want?"

Serenity nodded. "I think so! I've seen them take all sorts of different forms, both human and animal. The ones I've met particularly favor cats."

"Wow... talking cats..." Endymion pondered this momentarily. "I'd like to meet them."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Serenity replied excitedly, taking Endymion's hands into her own. "They're going to be passing through our system in just a few weeks. I would really like to introduce you to them." She looked down shyly as she continued, "Two of them in particular... Luna and Artemis... they're really special to me. They were my mother's dearest friends, and after she died... they became like parents to me." She looked back into Endymion's eyes. "I want them to meet the man I'm going to marry. Because I hope that someday... they'll be like parents to you, too."

Endymion stared at her a moment, moved to silence. When he and Serenity had first met, they'd connected over the fact that they both felt so alone in their royal world—just as Serenity had been orphaned at a young age, Endymion's mother had died in childbirth, and his father had been killed in a battle while settling a territorial dispute in the western lands. Now Serenity had found something to fill that void, and she wanted to share that with him... it was yet another reminder of what a wonderful person she was, why he loved her so much.

Endymion smiled, his heart swelling with emotion. "I'd love that," he managed at last. Serenity beamed at him, and he drew her close, kissing her gently. After a lingering moment, he pulled back. "I love you, Serenity," he whispered against her lips, before pressing his against them once more.

Serenity closed her eyes blissfully. This was all she needed—Endymion's love. How could the others not see?

* * *

With training canceled and the Shitennou dispersed, Nephrite found himself with a plethora of time on his hands and nothing to do but continue his tedious search of the royal library. He'd explored the shelves multiple times that week already, and come up with frustratingly few results. Ordinarily, he would have given up in aggravation after the first hour or two; but he'd promised Ami, and he knew that it was important, so he doggedly kept at it.

Today, he thought he would try searching for any hidden cubbies behind the shelves he'd already searched. This seemed futile, but at this point Nephrite was willing to try anything. He'd managed to strip the entire bottom shelf bare and was on his knees emptying the next one when he felt a shadow looming over him. Nephrite looked up to see a rather crotchety-looking old man hovering over his shoulder.

"Young man, what exactly do you think you're doing?" the old timer asked.

"Oh, I..." Nephrite began, embarrassedly getting to his feet. "I'm looking for something."

"Well, you won't find anything that way," the old man scolded. "Why don't you tell me what you're looking for? I've overseen the royal family's book collection for decades. I know everything in this library."

Nephrite considered for a moment; then, deciding he had nothing to lose, said, "I'm actually looking for anything about relations with the Moon Kingdom."

The old man lifted a shaggy eyebrow. "That's rather a taboo subject, young man."

Nephrite flushed. "I know, sir, but... I'm just fascinated by our glorious kingdom's history. I'd love to learn more about how the mighty kings of our past managed to protect us from the lunar menace."

The old man chuckled. "Well, I'm afraid you won't find anything about that here. These records are all much more recent." He watched as Nephrite's face fell. Considering for a moment, the old man added, "But you know... many of the kings of our past had mortuary temples constructed to honor their greatness. An antiquated tradition that has fallen into disuse. But many of these temples are still standing, and you can often find inscriptions inside that tell of important events during the king's reign."

Nephrite's eyes widened in excitement. "Really?"

The old man laughed outright at his enthusiasm. "Honestly, my boy, didn't you ever go exploring those ruins as a child? Or have children lost their sense of adventure?" Nephrite glowered, and the old man grinned. This boy certainly was fun to tease; he reacted to _everything._ Finally, the man patted Nephrite's shoulder jovially and leaned a bit closer. "It's the temple of King Deukalion you'll want," he said softly, so as not to be overheard. "It's a bit off the beaten path, but if you look at some of the old maps of the kingdom, you'll find it."

Nephrite smiled broadly. "Thank you, sir," he said gratefully, starting to turn towards the books of maps.

"Ehh!" the old man squawked, halting Nephrite with a prod of his cane. "First, pick up these books! _Then_ you can go."

Glowering once more, Nephrite began to haphazardly shove books back on the shelves. He could hardly wait to get to that temple.

* * *

Lady Beryl was nothing if not determined. Many other women would have given up long before now if they were in her position. But Beryl knew better. She knew that the only way to get what she wanted in this world was to never give up, even if it meant pushing until something broke. This was how she found herself making her way to the palace yet again. Endymion had kept his silence all week long, but Beryl had a good feeling that today would be the day that she would finally get the truth out of him about his month-long disappearance.

Although, Beryl suspected she already knew. _The time of Endymion's coronation as king is fast approaching,_ she reasoned. _It's custom for the newly crowned king to renew his alliance with the four lands. He and the Shitennou were probably meeting with each of their clans, in anticipation of the ceremony_. It made complete sense.

Except... there was one small problem with that theory: why would Endymion keep that a secret? Everyone knew the prince would soon be of age, and the responsibilities that went along with kingship. So why hide it from her? Unless...

Beryl stopped in her tracks. _Yes, that's it!_ Of course! Why hadn't she realized it sooner? As soon as Endymion became king, he would be expected to take a wife and produce an heir. _No wonder he's being so secretive with me—he's planning to propose, and he wants to surprise me!_ Her heart soared with giddy glee. After all, Beryl was the only logical choice to be made queen. She came from an excellent noble lineage, and she was the only woman in the prince's court who was close enough to Endymion to even be considered. _That must be it!_ Overjoyed, Beryl hurried down the colonnaded path towards the palace, eager to plant herself in the Prince's path and wait for the perfect moment...

But as she rounded the corner, Beryl stopped dead in her tracks. Further down the path, she could Endymion sitting on a bench with another girl. Beryl froze for a moment, numb with shock. Then the girl rose to her feet, drawing Endymion with her, and, panicking, Beryl darted behind a column, praying they wouldn't see her.

She needn't have worried. The girl, preoccupied with her own thoughts, frolicked—_frolicked! _—down the path past Beryl's hiding place, Endymion on her heels, laughing. He caught the girl's wrist, turning her to face him. Giggling, the girl rose up on her toes, meeting the prince's lips in a kiss.

Stunned, Beryl watched them, as if frozen in place. The world around her seemed to come to a screeching halt, her eyes riveted on the couple before her. Vaguely, Beryl felt a stinging behind her eyes, then something warm on her cheeks. Disjointedly, she realized that she was crying. This realization seemed to snap her out of her daze. At last, Beryl managed to tear her eyes away from the two lovers, and she turned, gnawing her lip violently.

She leaned against the column for support, breathing heavily. _Endymion... Endymion is..._

Suddenly, violently, Beryl pushed away from the column, running as fast as she could from the sight of Endymion with that other girl. Tears blinded her as she fled, and she didn't see Jadeite until she had run into him headlong.

"Beryl!" Jadeite cried, taking her shoulders to steady her and looking over her disheveled appearance, her tear-stained cheeks."What's wrong?" he asked, his voice laden with concern.

It took Beryl a moment to answer; words seemed to have deserted her. "Jadeite," she finally sobbed. "Who is she?"

"...Oh," Jadeite replied, realization dawning on him. He swallowed, his expression pained, at a loss for words.

After another moment's agonizing silence, Beryl screamed, "_Who is she?_"

"I... I can't tell you," Jadeite stammered at last.

Beryl stared at him, trying to process this answer. Then she flung his arms away, turning to leave.

"Beryl, please wait," Jadeite pleaded, catching her wrist.

"Get away from me, Jadeite!" she shrieked, ripping her hand from his grip. "I have no use for you right now!"

Her words hit Jadeite like a fist. "Beryl..." he began, but she paid him no heed. She rushed away from him, turning off the path entirely and fleeing into the thick overgrowth at the edge of the woods. "Beryl!"

"Don't follow me, Jadeite!" Beryl shouted in reply, not even turning her head. So Jadeite merely watched as she disappeared into the trees.

* * *

The afternoon sun was hanging low in the sky by the time Nephrite reached the ruins of the temple of King Deukalion. The old man had been right; he _did_ remember this place from his childhood. He couldn't believe that the answer to this most important question had been right under his nose the whole time.

Cautiously, he entered the crumbling building. Although he was sure that it had once been elaborate, the temple had deteriorated to rubble: many of the columns that made up its walls had toppled, and Nephrite worried that those that remained would not be able to support the weight of the roof for much longer.

In the center of the temple's interior stood an immense statue of King Deukalion. His right arm, which likely had held aloft the king's sword, was missing from the shoulder on; but despite this, the statue still was impressive, portraying a strong, intimidating-looking man. _This man is Master Endymion's ancestor,_ Nephrite thought in awe. He couldn't stop his next thought: _His greatness is preserved... but no mention is made of the four men who devoted their lives to him._

Nephrite tried to shove that thought out of his mind. That's not what this visit was about. He needed to be on the lookout for inscriptions.

He wandered through the shambles of the great hall, stepping gingerly over toppled columns and taking care not to trip over the overgrowth of roots that had burst through the stone floor of the temple. The sound of a bird fluttering in the eaves startled him; as he looked up, he tripped over a large rectangular piece of stone, dislodging it from the plantlife that had engulfed it. Cursing, he kicked the stone block. As it toppled on its side, the light revealed the faded imprint of letters etched into its surface.

"An inscription!" Nephrite cried in delight, kneeling to closer inspect the piece of stone.

"_Behold, King Deukalion the mighty, who expelled the alien threat of our world,"_ the inscription began._ "In the 18__th__ year of his reign, the king fended off an attack led by those most hated of enemies, the Kingdom of the Moon. The king alone had the great foresight to see through the lies and deception of this treacherous race. The aliens sought to subjugate our people, keeping power for themselves and leaving us with none. Eminent Deukalion resisted, instead discovering an even greater power than that of the Moon, which he righteously gave to the people of Earth._

"_But the aliens would not allow the Earth to rival them in power. They invaded, seeking to take our great power source for their own. They were defeated by King Deukalion, and in their rage, the aliens destroyed the Earth's power source; but though they stole our power, they were never able to steal our freedom. Thus, the king of the Earth swore that forever and all time, he would fight to protect the liberty of our world from the menace of the Moon Kingdom."_

Nephrite read and re-read the inscription, trying to make sense of it. An attack by the Moon Kingdom? A month ago he would have believed it. Now... he wasn't so sure. _And what is this power source?_ he thought, bewildered. _I've never heard of such a thing. Was it like the Mystical Silver Crystal? Or... something else?_

Nephrite remained there, his mind swimming with questions, until nearly sunset. At last, he left the temple and headed back to the palace. If only he could talk to Ami... he needed to let her know what he'd found.

* * *

It was almost twilight by the time Serenity bade Endymion a reluctant farewell and returned home, to the Crystal tower. As the light around her form died down, the princess looked around the empty chamber complacently. _I got to see Endymion, and no one was the wiser,_ she congratulated herself. Reveling in her own secret victory, Serenity replaced the Mystical Silver Crystal on its pedestal, and quietly slipped out the door.

Her luck ran out at the bottom of the stairs, however. There, waiting for her, stood a very angry-looking Sailor Venus.

"Princess, where have you been all day?" she demanded.

"I... was just checking on the Silver Crystal," Serenity lied. "It is my responsibility to ensure that the Crystal stays safe, so every once in awhile, I like to... pop in and...make sure it's safe..." She trailed off at Minako's stern expression.

"Oddly enough, when I checked the tower a few moments ago, you weren't there... and neither was the Crystal," Minako stated. Serenity's face paled. "Now, would you like to tell me again—where were you all day?"

Serenity remained silent as her guardian waited expectantly. At last, Minako exploded, "Princess, what were you thinking? You took our most powerful, sacred object, the thing that enables our very _existence_, and brought it into our enemy's grasp!"

That snapped Serenity out of her silence. "The Earth is _not_ our enemy!" the princess shouted. "How many times must I tell you? Those days are over! And how could you even _think_ that Endymion would betray me and take the Crystal? After all this time? How can you still distrust him?"

"The prince may be trustworthy," Sailor Venus retorted, "But he is not the only man on Earth! Someone could have attacked you and taken the Crystal! Without us there to protect you—"

"The Shitennou were there! They're just as capable of protecting me as the Senshi are!"

_The Shitennou!_ That very word was enough to make Minako's blood boil. She knew that accursed Zoisite was never going to let her here the end of this escapade. Of all the times for the Princess to be sneaking off... "You would entrust the fate of the Crystal, the lives of every subject of the Moon Kingdom, to the Shitennou? Four boys who don't have any kind of powers other than the strength of their swords, to protect the most valuable treasure in the universe? Princess, have you lost your senses completely?"

Without warning, Serenity's hand smacked hard across Minako's cheek. Venus stared at her, stunned. She had never seen the princess lash out like that. Serenity was glaring at her coldly. "Mind your place," Serenity snapped. "I am the princess! In two short years, I will be queen. _I_ am the one who is responsible for the Crystal, not you. I will be the one to protect it, and to decide when and how to use it!"

As Minako stared at Serenity in shock, she suddenly felt a strange pulse, as if her powers were rippling; and for a moment, the crescent moon on Serenity's forehead seemed to glow. Then, as suddenly as it came, it was gone. Confused and still numb with surprise, Minako hesitantly whispered, "Yes, Princess."

Serenity glared at her icily for a moment more, and then turned and stalked away. Minako watched her go. _What just happened?_ she wondered dazedly. _And what was that feeling...?_

* * *

Ami was still in her chambers reading long after nightfall. Volume one of the Chronicles of the Moon Kingdom had been interesting, but had left her with more questions than answers. Apparently, before the unification of the planets, the ten different worlds of the solar system had been disjointed. At the center of the dispute was control of the Mystical Silver Crystal. Little was known about the crystal's origins, but it was known by all the worlds to be an object of great power, and each wanted the crystal for their own. For centuries, the crystal passed from world to world in a constant power struggle.

Finally, one girl—the princess of the kingdom on the Earth's moon—grew weary of the bloodshed. She called upon the immortal Ethereals, requesting that they help her reach the other worlds in order to make peace. One by one, the planets agreed to join in the alliance; and, to Ami's shock, Earth was one of the first to agree to the alliance. Finally, all nine planets agreed to unify, unanimously deciding to appoint the princess who started it all as their leader. She was named Queen, and given authority over the Mystical Silver Crystal.

Ami closed the book, picking up the next volume in confusion. _If the Earth was originally part of the alliance, why did they suddenly break away from us? _She read on, anxious to find a clue as to what happened. She was beginning to think that this book would not hold any more useful information than its predecessor when finally, an entry jumped out at her. While the previous entries had been written with a steady, even hand, this passage seemed to have been anxiously scrawled.

"_Day 3 of the month of Boedromion_

_I am afraid my duties as archivist have had to go by the wayside these many weeks, for my powers as a Senshi have been more greatly needed during this troubled time._

"_The alliance has been betrayed. On the first day of Hekatombaion, the new year, the day our alliance was to be sealed at last, the Earth suddenly and unexpectedly rejected the alliance in favor of war. We are uncertain as to the motives behind this, but we fear that all is not as it seems. The Earth's attacks have been led by fearsome and mysterious creatures, the likes of which we have never seen. We know not from whence these beings have come, for we know such creatures are not native to the Earth. Furthermore, Princess Hestia of Mars has been sensing a strange source of dark energy coming from the Earth. I fear that there is more to this threat than we can comprehend..."_

Ami turned the page, feeling intrigued and simultaneously nervous. She had known that the Earth and the Moon had been cold enemies, but she hadn't realized actual battles had been fought. But it still didn't answer the question, _why_?

The next entry was dated the 14th of Anthesterion, over five months after the preceding one.

"_At last, the battle has been won, but at great cost to the alliance. Our own mother planet, the world that ours is irrevocably tied to, has turned it back on us, for evermore it would seem._

"_We learned nearly too late that our true enemy was not the people of Earth, but a being that was manipulating them, a force of great evil. This being is known as Queen Metallia. Like the Ethereals, Metallia is a being of pure energy; but unlike the peace-loving Ethereals, Metallia feeds on negativity, death, and destruction. Somehow, this creature made its way to Earth and, for motivations we never could uncover, managed to possess King Deukalion. The demon told the king what he wanted to hear, playing to his insecurities and his desire for power. And so he lost his mind to her, closing his ears to sense and reason._

"_After a long and difficult war, we at last managed to subdue Metallia, but we could not destroy her. Finally, Queen Serenity used the Mystical Silver Crystal to place a seal on the creature. We had hoped that once her power was sealed, Deukalion would regain his senses; but instead, he grew enraged, expelling us forcibly from his world and vowing that the Earth would never re-enter the alliance. It seems that despite the seal, Metallia still has some hold over the king._

"_This leads the Ethereals to believe that Serenity's seal is only a temporary measure. At some point, its power over Metallia will weaken, and she will be free once more. We all fear this day. If Metallia was able to corrupt the mind of the mighty Earth king, anyone could be at risk. It is imperative that we remain vigilant to ensure that, if the seal should fail, Metallia will be stopped before she manages to cause any more destruction. This is the most crucial mission of the Sailor Senshi."_

Ami's heart was caught in her throat as she read. _This is it,_ she thought in wonder. _This is the truth behind the feud._ But this was not what she'd been hoping to find at all. Up until today, Ami had honestly believed that the truth would be something silly and trivial, something that the people of both worlds would find so ridiculous that they'd gladly set aside their differences. But _this— _this was dangerous, terrifyingly so. Somewhere on Earth, there was an energy being that was so strong that the Mystical Silver Crystal hadn't been able to destroy it, only subdue it. Something that could easily possess anyone, anytime if it was awakened, and no one would be the wiser until it was too late.

_Maybe the Ethereals were wrong, though,_ Ami tried to tell herself. _It's been 1000 years, and there's been no sign of this Metallia. Maybe the seal really is permanent. _

But her mind kept going back to the note Mariel had left in the study. _"Your very presence, dear reader, means that the seal has weakened, and the Moon is in danger once again." _Was it true? Was there really an evil force awakening on Earth, just waiting to lure an unsuspecting victim into its trap? And if so... would they be able to stop it?

* * *

Beryl ran until her feet couldn't carry her anymore. At last, wearied, she slumped at the foot of a tall tree and glanced at her surroundings. They looked unfamiliar, though it was hard to tell in the dusk. Beryl realized with chagrin that she had run blindly through the woods for quite some time. She was probably very deep in the forest by now. She glanced up and noticed with alarm that the sky was almost dark. How long had she run, drowning in her grief?

_What should I do?_ she wondered. _Should I stay where I am?_ She'd heard that was the best thing to do when one was lost. But would anyone find her this far off the beaten path? The only one who knew that she'd gone into the woods was Jadeite, and she'd told him not to follow. By the time anyone noticed she was missing, how many hours would have passed? And who knew what kind of creatures might find her first, in the forest at night?

Anxiously, Beryl rose to her feet. She was already lost, so what harm would a bit more wandering do? Maybe she wasn't that far from a trail...

She made her way through the thickly clustered trees. Hadn't she heard that you could tell directions by the side of the tree trunks moss grew on? But which direction would that be?

A noise interrupted her thoughts. It was faint and distant, but she was sure she'd heard it—a voice. "Hello?" Beryl called hopefully. There it was again. She was certain it was a voice. Frantically, Beryl ran in the direction of the sound. "Is someone there?" she cried. "Where are you?"

Suddenly, Beryl reached a break in the trees and found herself at the mouth of a large cave. There was no one in sight. Had she imagined the sound?

Just as she turned to leave, she heard it, faint as a whisper. _"In here..."_ Beryl froze in terror. Who would be calling to her from that dark cavern? What if it was something dangerous?

"_Come to me,"_ the soft voice commanded. There was something strange about the voice. Somehow, it didn't quite seem human. Now Beryl wasn't sure if it had actually come from the cave... or from her own mind. But despite her terror, she felt compelled to obey. Her feet moved of almost their own accord, following the voice into the wide gap in the mountainside.

Inside, the cavern was immense. Beryl's every footstep echoed noisily off the walls. "Who's there?" she called anxiously. There was no response. In the heart of the cave, a dim light caught her eye. It glowed a strange color, an unnatural shade of magenta. Beryl cautiously approached the light.

"_Beryl,"_ the voice said, and she was sure this time that it was coming from inside her own head.

"Who are you?" Beryl asked aloud, her voice trembling. "How do you know my name?"

"_I know everything about you,"_ the reply echoed through her mind, the strange voice exuding warmth. _"Your hopes, your fears... your greatest desires."_ At these last words, Beryl's mind suddenly conjured an image of Endymion. Her heart sank at the memory.

"What do you want from me?"

"_Only your happiness," _the voice replied. _"I brought you here to offer you my help. I can give you immeasurable power... the power to make your wildest dreams come true. Even the power to make the prince your own."_

"I don't know what you're talking about," Beryl started to say, but the voice cut her off.

"_I see what it is you truly desire."_ Suddenly, Beryl found herself caught in a vision. She was standing in the palace gardens again, on the colonnaded path. Crumpled at her feet was the lifeless body of the girl Beryl had seen kissing Endymion that afternoon. Beryl looked down at her own hands; they were stained with blood.

"No!" Beryl screamed, breaking the vision. Without another word, she tore out of the cavern, running as fast as she could to get away from the nightmarish voice. But as she ran, Beryl could have sworn she heard it one last time.

"_You'll be back."_


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7  
****Turning Point**

The comet appeared suddenly.

It hadn't been there the night before; but one night, it was just there—a starlike light beside the moon, with a luminous streaming tail soaring behind it.

Far below, the people of Earth glanced warily up at the sky, whispering among themselves. The comet had appeared many times throughout the centuries, and it always seemed to bring bad tidings. The Earthlings viewed it as an ill omen, an unpleasant reminder of the menace that hung above them. So they kept their eyes cast downward, pretending it didn't exist, hoping the comet's presence meant nothing.

One pair of eyes on Earth, however, were riveted upon the comet with excitement and wonder. Endymion stood on the balcony that looked out over the palace gardens, staring at the brilliant light that he now knew was a harbinger of the Ethereals. Serenity had promised that he would be able to meet them; but when?

As he pondered this, a shadow appeared on the balcony. "I thought I'd find you out here," Kunzite's voice broke through the darkness. "I presume you're admiring the comet everyone's been talking about."

Endymion grinned, beckoning for Kunzite to join him at the balustrade. "I'm sure everyone's saying it's a sign of imminent disaster, correct?"

Kunzite smirked. "Of course." He followed Endymion's gaze up to the brilliant comet shimmering beside the waning moon. After a long moment, he said, "My Prince... the time has come. You have to make the announcement."

Endymion nodded, avoiding Kunzite's watchful eyes. "I know. It's past time. I can't avoid it anymore."

* * *

The night the Ethereals' comet arrived, the members of Serenity's court were bedecked in their best finery. Representatives from every planet in the solar system were present, for a visit from the Ethereals was as important, if not moreso, than even the Millennium Ball had been. Full of anticipation, Serenity sat regally on her throne, positioned on the dais to the right of her mother's empty throne, which would remain unoccupied until Serenity's twentieth birthday, when she would become queen in her own right.

The Ethereals appeared precisely at the appointed time, as they always did. Without fanfare or announcement, a small group of glowing beings simply shimmered into existence in the center of the throne room, glowing mystically. Serenity rose to her feet, stepping forward and greeting them with a deep curtsy. The Ethereals, now in humanoid form and enrobed in filmy draperies, returned the reverence.

"Esteemed Ethereals," Serenity began cordially, trying to maintain a regal control over her features. It was difficult not to grin broadly when she saw Luna and Artemis standing slightly behind Phoebe, the Ethereals' leader. "It is an immense pleasure to welcome you to our palace. We have all eagerly anticipated your arrival, and are looking forward to hearing of your travels throughout our galaxy. You are welcome to remain as our guests for as long as you deem fit."

Phoebe smiled serenely. "Thank you, my princess," she said. "I'm afraid we are planning on only a very brief visit this time, but we trust that our short stay will be a pleasant one. If I may, I would like to request a private audience with you, after which we will be only too happy to spend the evening in attendance of the court. I know we would all love to hear about the celebration of the empire's millennial festivities, which we so regrettably were unable to be present for."

A glimmer of confusion passed across Serenity's face, but she composed herself quickly. "Of course," she replied. "Please accompany me to my private study." She led the way into a small room adjacent to the throne room; Phoebe, Luna, and Artemis glided weightlessly after her. The Senshi watched them go curiously, before turning to greet the other Ethereals in the party.

Once inside the study, the Ethereals' formality diminished. Serenity embraced each of them in turn, hugging Luna especially tightly. Luna giggled, her sweet voice filled with delight. "Have you been well, my little Princess? I trust you haven't gotten into _too_ much trouble?"

"None at all!" Serenity replied brightly, and even Phoebe let a smile slip at that, for anyone could see through that lie. Serenity continued unabashedly, "But tell me, how have _you_ been? I want to hear all about your adventures!"

"There will be plenty of time for that, Princess," Phoebe interjected. "Now I must tell you the reason for our visit. We are here because it is time for your instruction in the ways of the Silver Crystal to begin."

Serenity looked confused. "My... instruction?"

"Indeed." Phoebe nodded. "Ordinarily, your mother would have taught you; but as this is not possible, Luna and Artemis will be serving in this capacity."

Serenity's eyes widened. "You mean... Luna and Artemis will be staying here on the Moon?"

"That's right, Princess," Artemis said, his smile reaching his bright green eyes.

Serenity could hardly believe it. Tears of joy stung her eyes, and she covered her mouth with her hands.

Phoebe continued, "Up to now, you have had excellent guardians to protect you and teach you about politics and government... but no instruction about the Silver Crystal. That is unacceptable." She paused, as if to ensure the gravity of her words was getting through to Serenity. "As you know, the Crystal was a gift from the Ethereals to the first Queen Serenity. It is a shard from our comet, and as such, its powers are tied to ours. You could have no better teacher than an Ethereal, and it is imperative that you learn how to control the Crystal as quickly as possible."

Serenity nodded her agreement, although her mind was not really on Phoebe's words. She was still in a thrill over the news that Luna and Artemis would be staying on the Moon. It was too good to be true! She struggled to suppress the grin that was itching to form on her face.

Luna could see Serenity's attention was not fully engaged. "Princess, this is serious," she said urgently. "It's not all fun and games. You're going to have to work hard."

"Of course!" Serenity agreed easily. "I know! And I _will_ work hard! I promise." She beamed at the three Ethereals.

Phoebe sighed. "I hope selecting Luna and Artemis to be your mentors was wise. They are rather young, so not as experienced with their powers as an older Ethereal might have been; but we felt their pre-existing relationship with you and your mother was a bonus..." She trailed off. Serenity was clearly caught in a daydream, and didn't seem to be willing to emerge any time soon. Phoebe turned to Luna and Artemis in exasperation.

"Don't worry, Exalted," Artemis said soothingly. "She's just excited. Once the newness of all this wears off, we won't have a problem."

Phoebe smiled tightly. "I hope you're right." She turned back to Serenity. "I shall retire now. I'm sure your court is anxiously waiting, wondering what ever we could be saying alone here." She regally swept out of the study and back into the main receiving hall, without waiting for Serenity to lead the way. Court etiquette had no bearing on the Ethereals, but Serenity didn't mind—she barely even noticed. Luna and Artemis hung back, waiting for the Princess to snap out of her daydream so they could speak. But after another brief moment's preoccupied silence, Serenity bounded out of the room in a blur of petticoats.

"Everyone!" the Princess cried out excitedly as she rushed back into the throne room, a startled Luna and Artemis at her heels. "I have wonderful news! Artemis and Luna will be staying on the Moon!"

There was a collective gasp from the room, then the masses descended upon them, every member of the court wanting to express their pleasure and welcomes and congratulations. Luna glanced at Artemis in alarm. Now they'd never get a chance to speak to Serenity in private.

_It can wait,_ Artemis' voice rang reassuringly through Luna's mind. _We'll speak with her in the morning._

Luna nodded and steeled herself for the enthusiasm of the multitudes. Readjusting to corporeal form always took some effort, and it wasn't helped by being crowded by a throng of well-wishers, especially when her mind was elsewhere. She was relieved when at last the numbers thinned and she sensed a familiar, calming presence at her shoulder.

"Ami," Luna said affectionately, turning to embrace the Guardian of Mercury.

Ami returned the greeting hug joyfully. "I'm so happy to see you, and happier still to learn that you'll be staying with us!" she enthused. "But Serenity didn't mention why you're staying. There hasn't been any trouble among the Ethereals, has there?"

Luna smiled admiringly. "Always observant, Ami!" she remarked. "No trouble, but..." She looked around. "It might be best if we spoke privately."

"Of course," Ami agreed, leading her out a side door to a small veranda opening out to the palace gardens. "I had something I wanted to ask you about, as well," she added as soon as they were out of ear's reach.

"Oh?" Luna commented. "What's that?"

"Well..." Ami hesitated, then plunged forward. "I was wondering if you've ever heard of something called the Great Evil."

Luna stared at Ami for a moment in stunned silence. "Where did you hear that name?"

Ami explained her discovery of Mariel's secret library as Luna listened gravely, her edges shimmering as her concern grew deeper.

"I'm worried about what this means," Luna said thoughtfully. "You see... I'm afraid we haven't been entirely honest with you about our visit." She turned, gazing off at the blue orb of the Earth in the distance. "The real reason we Ethereals came here was because we... sensed something from this part of the galaxy. If what Mariel wrote is true, it could mean that she's awakening." She turned back to Ami resolutely. "It's imperative that the Princess learn to control the Crystal as quickly as possible. If Queen Metallia awakens, we will need the full power of the Crystal to stop her."

"Should we tell the Princess about what I found?" Ami asked.

Luna was about the respond when Phoebe's voice echoed through her mind, and Luna realized she'd been listening in on the conversation all along. _No. If the Princess was already in control of the Crystal, that would be one thing; but based on that outburst we felt from her... The Crystal is too strongly linked to her emotions. She must not have any more distractions until she learns how to properly wield it, or she could lose control._

Only a moment had passed, and Ami was still awaiting an answer. Smiling evenly to conceal her internal conversation, Luna said, "No. I don't want to worry her unnecessarily. Since Artemis and I will be staying here, we can wait and see if we sense anything. It may turn out to be nothing at all."

Ami smiled hesitantly, as if not quite convinced, but agreed. "But if you and Artemis are staying here," she began, a thought occurring to her, "will it be all right for you to be away from the comet?"

"Oh, certainly," Luna replied, happy for the change of subject. "Our powers will be a bit weaker, but the Silver Crystal will sustain us. We'll be fine."

Ami beamed. "I'm glad," she said, and the two started to make their way back into the palace. "Oh, I'm so happy you're staying!" she went on brightly, "I made you and Artemis each gifts, I can't wait to show them to you!"

The festivities continued late into the night, with the Ethereals at last retiring to their comet—all save Luna and Artemis, who were shown to chambers of their own that Serenity hastily had made up for them. Luna was grateful for the chance to rest. Ordinarily, she had no need to sleep, but being away from the comet was weakening her already, and it would only get worse when the other Ethereals left. She and her companion would have to get used to the feel of more limited powers.

She lay back in the unfamiliar bed, reflecting back on the overwhelming night. Ami's news had disturbed her deeply. Before the other Ethereals had left, Luna had confronted Phoebe one last time. _"Are you sure we shouldn't all stay until we know for sure what's going on?"_ she'd asked. But Phoebe had reminded her that the Ethereals had other responsibilities, obligations to more than just this solar system. It wouldn't do for them all to stay here indefinitely. _"You and Artemis are more than experienced enough to handle this,"_ Phoebe had reassured her. _"If Serenity learns to use the Crystal properly, there should be no trouble from Earth."_ Luna had acquiesced; now she just needed to find the same faith in herself that Phoebe had vested in her. Metallia would not awaken under Luna's watchful eye. Repeating that mantra to herself, the Ethereal at last managed to drift off to sleep.

* * *

Luna awoke the next morning and discovered that she'd shifted into the more comfortable form of a cat in her sleep. Smiling to herself, Luna stretched luxuriously, digging her claws into the rumpled blankets of her oversized bed. Cats had always been her favorite corporeal manifestation, as well as Artemis'; knowing this, Ami had presented them each with the gift of hand-stitched feline figures the night before. The plush handicraft was now displayed on Luna's bedside table. She admired it once before hopping down from the bed and slipping out into the hallway. She'd slept late; it would be time for Serenity's first lesson by now.

Indeed, both the Princess and Artemis were waiting for her when she slipped through the door of the Crystal Tower. "Well, Princess," Luna said, shifting from her comfortable cat form into the more versatile humanoid, "are you ready for your first lesson about the Mystical Silver Crystal?"

"Luna!" Serenity exclaimed, rushing forward and grasping her guardian's hands. "I just remembered! I can't believe I forgot! Endymion wants to meet you!"

"The Earth Prince?" Luna repeated, taken aback.

"Yes! I told him all about you and Artemis, and he said he wanted to meet you! He invited us to stay at the palace at the first opportunity, when do you think we can go? I was thinking sometime later this week, and—"

"You told the Prince about us?" Artemis interrupted, looking alarmed. "Are you sure that's wise?"

"Of course it is!" Serenity protested, offended.

Artemis made to reply, but Luna placed a hand on her partner's arm, staying him. "It's just... some of the rulers of Earth in the past have been less than trustworthy," she tactfully pointed out, as Artemis shifted uncomfortably.

Serenity jutted out her lower lip. "Endymion's different. That's why I want you to meet him. If only you knew him, you'd see!"

Luna frowned pensively. "But we have your lessons to think about, those really shouldn't wait, and—"

"Maybe we should take the time to meet him," Artemis broke in softly. Telepathically, he added to Luna, _It might not hurt to go down to Earth and see if we can sense anything about the Great Evil._

Luna nodded in agreement. "All right, Princess. I think we can squeeze in a short visit to Earth."

"Really? Hooray!" Serenity squealed. "I have to go tell Endymion!" She lifted the Crystal off its podium.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Artemis cried.

Serenity turned, bewildered. "I'm using the Crystal to go down and tell Endymion."

Luna's eyes grew enormous and she found she could barely maintain her form for a moment. "Serenity, you can't do that!"

"I can't?"

Artemis shook his head in exasperation. "Minako told me about this, but I could hardly believe her."

"You mean... all this time, you've been taking the Crystal down to Earth?"

"Yes," Serenity replied, abashed. While Venus' chastisement had made her angrily defensive, hearing it from Luna filled her with sudden remorse.

Luna glanced quickly at Artemis. _If she's been bring the Crystal directly down to Earth... Queen Metallia..._

Artemis nodded but did not respond, turning instead to address Serenity. "It's all right, Princess," he said soothingly. "That's why we're here, to teach you these things. And the first thing you need to know is that the Silver Crystal must _never_ leave this tower, under any circumstances."

"But then how will I see Endymion?" Serenity protested.

"You can still use the Crystal's powers without interacting with it directly," Luna explained. "The power of the Crystal is bound to you. Although others would need to hold the Crystal in their hands to use it, you have the power to control it from a distance."

"Only me...?" Serenity repeated, amazed.

Artemis could see the direction her thoughts were headed, so he clarified. "The ruler of the Moon Kingdom was given these powers when the Ethereals entrusted her with the Silver Crystal a millennium ago. The power has passed down through her line. When your mother died, that power became yours."

Serenity struggled for a reply. Some of this information she had known or suspected, but the part about not needing to touch the crystal—that was new. "So I can go see Endymion without taking the Crystal?"

"Yes, but not now," Luna said firmly. "It's clear that you desperately need some training and practice before you do anything else. Who knows what might have happened, what with you taking the Crystal everywhere willy-nilly, with no idea how to properly use it?" She watched Serenity's crestfallen expression and smiled in spite of herself. "If you promise to give us your full attention during your lessons through the next few days, we'll go see Endymion at week's end. Does that sound agreeable?"

"Oh, Luna!" Serenity squealed with glee, flinging her arms around her guardian. Luna laughed, but over the Princess' shoulder she could see Artemis gazing at the Crystal, a frown deepening on his lips.

* * *

Far below them, Endymion was taking a deep breath, attempting to steady his nerves. His court was gathered before him; the time had come. In truth, it should have come long before this, and he knew it. He'd just been afraid. Afraid of their reactions. Afraid of spoiling the happiness he'd so miraculously found with Serenity. Afraid that, despite all their promises and determinations, that maybe he and Serenity might not belong together after all.

No. That was impossible.

Summoning all his strength of will, Endymion began.

"My people. Last night, as I'm sure you are all aware, a light appeared in the sky next to the Moon. A comet." There was a murmur of assent among the courtiers. Endymion continued, "This comet brought with it uncertainty, and fear as to its implications." He swallowed. "Well, I am here to tell you that this comet is not an ill omen. It is an omen of peace."

The murmur among the courtiers rose to a confused buzz as Endymion went on: "You all know that I will come of age in a few short months, and be crowned king. At this time, I will be wed... to Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom."

There was an instant of stunned silence, then the court erupted into a roar of shock and protestation. Endymion raised his own voice authoritatively to be heard over the din. "Our union will signify an end to a thousand years of hostility. The time for peace has come. This is to be a time of celebration; it marks an end to a millennium of fear. We owe the children of Earth this: a life without fear. A life of learning, understanding, and peace."

Endymion spoke on against the wave of discontent before him, but, from his position at the Prince's side, Jadeite's eye was caught by a movement at the back of the audience chamber. Beryl was edging toward the door, her face white and her eyes glistening with tears. Surreptitiously, Jadeite excused himself, moving away from the other Shitennou to follow her out the door. "Lady Beryl," he whispered.

Beryl turned, seeing Jadeite and choking back a sob. Compulsively, Jadeite stepped forward, pulling her into a comforting embrace; and for a moment, she let him. Then suddenly, violently, she shoved him away from her. "How could you not tell me?" she demanded, her voice breaking.

Jadeite looked down guiltily. "It was not my secret to tell," was all he could say.

Tears flowing freely, Beryl pressed on. "That girl I saw in the gardens, then... she was..."

"Yes," Jadeite admitted. "The Moon Princess."

Beryl looked as if she'd been struck. "This is treason!" she cried raggedly.

Jadeite took exception to that. "This is the act of a king," he said firmly. "The only treason is to speak against him." His voice softened as he went on. "It is also the wisest choice he could have made. The time for peace has come, Beryl." Jadeite looked at her imploringly. "Surely you must see that. Imagine, a life where we can look into the sky without fear, without a constant threat hanging over our heads... we all deserve to have that. Earth deserves it."

For a moment, he thought Beryl was going to argue with him. But the moment passed, her eyes hardening into a determination of a different kind. Then she smiled at him. "You're right, Jadeite." She rose up on her tiptoes, kissing him gently on the cheek. He felt fairly certain that his heart stopped. "Of course you're right. I just needed a moment to adjust." Jadeite nodded, feeling giddy, as she added, "I just need a few more minutes to compose myself before I go back inside."

"Would you like me to accompany you to the gardens for some fresh air?" Jadeite offered, but before Beryl could reply, he heard someone behind him clear his throat.

Jadeite turned to see Kunzite standing in the hallway just through the door. "Don't forget, Jadeite, you have prior commitments."

Jadeite turned beet red as Beryl hastily said, "I'll be fine, Jadeite. The Prince needs his generals," before turning and hurrying away.

As soon as Beryl was out of earshot, Kunzite spoke, his voice gently chiding. "Honestly, Jadeite, when are you going to stop wasting your time on her? She's never going to return your feelings. She's in love with someone else."

"You're wrong!" Jadeite protested, his cheeks hot with shame. "It might take time, but you'll see—in the end, she'll choose me. I'm right for her, and I'm not going to give up until she sees that!" He stormed back into the audience hall, leaving a stunned Kunzite in his wake. The black haired general wasn't sure what shocked him more: Jadeite's uncharacteristically emphatic outburst, or the fact that he was suddenly seeing himself in the youngest Shitennou.

The roar of the crowd through the open door quickly brought Kunzite back to his senses, however. There was no time to think of such things. The Prince needed his guardians now more than ever.

* * *

Three days passed largely without incident on the Moon. Serenity absorbed herself in her studies, spending long hours training with Luna and Artemis in the Crystal Tower. The first two days were spent in tedious information sessions, as the Ethereals explained to Serenity the ins and outs of the Crystal: its origins, how its power draws from the Ethereal comet, how its life-giving energy sustained the nine worlds of the Silver Alliance. It was dull, but Serenity did her best to focus, the excitement of her impending visit to Earth with Luna and Artemis driving her.

On the morning of the third day, Serenity found even more reason to rejoice at her daily Council meeting: Uranus and Neptune had conceded to Pluto's compromise, and were offering their conditional approval to the union of Serenity and Endymion. All that was left was for Endymion to make the announcement to his homeworld, and then wedding planning could begin in earnest.

After this news was relayed, Artemis noticed Minako slip away from the group. He watched her go, curious, but found to his frustration that his powers had diminished so greatly that he couldn't even sense what she was feeling.

"Don't worry about her," Rei told him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She's just sulking because she didn't get her way. She'll get over it."

Indeed, Minako spent the rest of the day in her room, reflecting on all this. A very discomfiting thought was beginning to weigh heavily on her mind. _What if I'm wrong? _she wondered. _What if the Prince and the Princess' love really won't spell the end of the union? _She sighed. _What if... the real problem has been __**me**__ all along?_

As the hours past, she found herself preoccupied by a very disturbing notion. _I wish Zoisite was here. He's the only one I can talk to about this._ It was a disgusting thought, but it was true.

Meanwhile, Serenity was throwing herself into her training with renewed fervor. Her excitement made it difficult to focus; but fortunately, today Luna and Artemis shifted the lessons away from lecture and began putting her studies into practice. They began with teaching Serenity how to use the Crystal's transportation powers from afar, since this was the ability she'd need for tomorrow's trip down to Earth. Eager and impatient, Serenity showed a dedication she'd never been able to muster for any of her other obligations.

Finally, the day came. Luna and Artemis had set some ground rules for the impatient princess: in addition to leaving the Crystal on the Moon, they commanded that she no longer take trips to Earth unchaperoned; the Sailor Guardians would be coming with her from now on, starting today.

This was how, with some trepidation, the four Senshi and Serenity found themselves standing together in a circle, hands clasped, Luna in her cat form on Serenity's shoulder and Artemis on Minako's.

"Remember how we did it in practice," Luna reassuringly whispered in Serenity's ear. She closed her eyes, breathed in... and in a flash of light, they were gone.

* * *

When the light enveloping the Senshi's forms died down, the group found themselves standing in a wide open field. They each looked about with a mixture of excitement and trepidation, amazed at how truly like the Moon Kingdom this place was. _It's just as Nephrite said,_ Ami thought in wonder. _It's one thing to hear about it, but to actually see it..._

"Usually Endymion and the Shitennou are around here training at this time of day," Serenity explained brightly, hurrying forward and looking around. "I wonder where they could be?"

"I think I hear voices on the other side of that hill," Makoto commented, gesturing. Beyond the hill and over the tops of the trees, they could see a dome looming in the distance.

"That's where the palace is," Serenity said. "Let's go!"

"Princess, wait!" Rei cried, but Serenity was already rushing over the small hill.

"What's wrong?" Minako asked, worried by the tone in Sailor Mars' voice.

"I sense something from over there. It seems hostile."

Artemis leapt out of Minako's arms and sprinted after Serenity. "Then what are we waiting for? Hurry! Protect the Princess!"

The Senshi raced over the hill to find Serenity standing just past the crest, looking down on the scene below her in horror. A crowd of people was gathered in front of the palace gates, shouting angrily. Their words were lost across the distance, but the sentiment was quite clear.

"What's going on?" Serenity dully wondered aloud. "I've never seen anything like this."

"Princess, this is dangerous," Minako cried, rushing to her side. "We need to get away from here."

"But Endymion could be in trouble!" Serenity contended, pulling away from her guardian. "I won't leave him!"

"Princess, be sensible!" Luna urged, hopping back up onto Serenity's shoulder. "You can't get to him through that crowd!"

Serenity was about to argue when a sweet-sounding voice broke in, "Excuse me." Everyone turned to see an auburn-haired young woman in a long dress. "You couldn't possibly be... Princess Serenity?"

The Senshi stared, agape. The woman stepped forward, but Sailor Jupiter moved between her and the Princess. "Who are you?" she demanded. "How do you know who we are?"

The woman blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry. Please forgive me." She curtsied, inclining her head. "I'm Lady Beryl. I'm a member of Prince Endymion's court. You must be looking for His Highness."

Serenity pushed past Makoto and approached Beryl. "Yes! Is he all right?"

The noblewoman nodded, smiling reassuringly. "He is well. He's in the palace, and the Shitennou are standing constant guard."

Serenity exhaled in relief, but Sailor Mars broke in warily. "Who are all those people?" she queried, gesturing at the crowd. "What are they doing down there?"

Beryl rubbed her temple uncomfortably before answering, hesitantly, "Yes, them. Well... unfortunately, His Highness made a little announcement before your visit... regarding your betrothal."

Sailor Venus spoke up. "You mean... all those people down there are protesting the Prince's engagement?" This was too good to be true. _I knew it, I was right all along_, she thought triumphantly. Surely the Princess would see that now.

Beryl nodded reluctantly. The Senshi stared at the mob for a moment, horrified, before she added in a rush, "But not everyone agrees with them!" She smiled prettily as she added, "Myself, for example. I think that it's marvelous, and high time."

"Still, Princess," Rei said, still looking at the angry crowd. "We can't stay here. Those people seem violent, and—"

"Would you like me to take you to Endymion?" Beryl interrupted. "I know a secret way into the palace."

"Yes, please!" Serenity exclaimed.

"Princess!" the Senshi protested as one, but she silenced them with a look. "I have to see Endymion," she stated emphatically. "I'm not leaving here until I've spoken to him, and I know he's safe." She turned back to Beryl. "Please, lead the way."

"Of course," Beryl replied, smiling complacently as she turned to guide them into the palace.

* * *

Prince Endymion sat slumped at the desk in his private study, his face in his hands. Zoisite stood to his left, leaning one arm against the bricks of the fireplace, gazing out the window. The sounds of the angry protestors outside, and the shouts of the other three Shitennou outside, trying to placate the mob, drifted in loud and clear even through the closed window; but the two men inside remained silent, neither willing to state what had become painfully obvious.

_This was a mistake._

Surely the master must see that now. He'd made his announcement, and the people had rebelled, just as Zoisite had warned. Endymion would have to see the light now, call off the engagement, and everything would go back to normal. Order would be restored.

So why didn't Zoisite feel more reassured?

He glanced over at Endymion, the tension showing so clearly on the Prince's usually carefree features. Was this all too much of a burden to place on his young shoulders? Even once this nonsense with the Moon Kingdom was resolved, would things ever be "normal" for Endymion again?

The situation suddenly seemed overwhelming, and Zoisite felt he was drowning in it. Through the desperation, a single, incomprehensible thought flashed faintly through his mind: _I wish Venus was here._

The notion was unfathomable. Zoisite felt revolted with himself for even _thinking_ it. It was just that... sometimes, he felt like she was the only other sane person he knew.

A sound in the hallway interrupted his internal conflict. Both Endymion and Zoisite looked up. _It must be Kunzite coming back to report on the situation out front._ Based on the sounds of the angry crowd still wafting in through the window, Zoisite felt certain the news could not be good, and braced himself.

The door was flung open, and in flew Princess Serenity. Endymion and his remaining general stared in astonishment; then the Prince leapt to his feet as the Princess rushed forward. "Endymion!" she cried, flinging herself into his arms. "Thank goodness! I was so worried, what with that crowd, and everything!"

"Serenity, how did you—?" Endymion began, but he broke off, noticing Beryl standing in the doorway, the Senshi just behind her. "Beryl... you..."

"She led us here," Serenity explained, turning to face the noblewoman. "She was a great help to us!"

"Please forgive my impertinence, Your Highness," Beryl broke in, bowing. "It's just... I saw the Princess and her guardians outside the palace and thought... you know, with the protestors, it just wasn't safe for them out there."

"Thank you, Beryl," Endymion said earnestly. "You did well. It's good to know some of my subjects are still loyal."

"As ever, Your Highness," Beryl replied, inclining her head.

As the three talked, Zoisite approached Sailor Venus surreptitiously. "I'm glad you're here," he murmured in her ear. She felt her heart catch in her throat for a moment, and she stared at him, baffled; but he was continuing, "We need to talk."

She silenced him with a finger to her lips. "Later," she whispered, glancing nervously at a white cat that had followed the group in, and was currently staring at Zoisite with eerily human-like green eyes.

_A cat?_

Meanwhile, Endymion had dawn Serenity over to the sofa in front of the fireplace, beckoning her and the others to sit. The Senshi remained standing, wary, but Beryl took a seat in an armchair across from the sofa. The Prince and Princess began filling each other in on what had transpired since they'd parted. Artemis shot Luna a concerned look, trying to think of some way to stop the Princess before she blurted anything out about the Ethereals. The Prince was one thing, but these other Earthlings—certainly, the noblewoman had helped them, but were they absolutely sure she could be trusted?

Fortunately, they were spared from having to intervene when, after several moments, the door flew open once more and Kunzite rapidly strode in. "Master, we've managed to—" He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Sailor Mercury standing just inside the door. "Ami," he breathed; then, quickly pulling himself together, he took a quick survey of the room and noted the presence of the Princess and the other Senshi. "This is unexpected."

"Yes, we have some unexpected visitors," Endymion explained. "Please, come in. You were saying?"

After a moment's hesitation as Kunzite tried to pull his addled mind together, he continued, "We've managed to calm down the crowd... for now, at least. Nephrite and Jadeite are still out there dealing with the remainder, but they've dispersed for the most part."

Endymion exhaled, a large amount of the tension leaving his shoulders with the breath. Serenity watched him, concern written all over her face.

"I don't understand," Makoto said. "All this was just because of the Prince announcing his engagement? I mean," she shook her head in bewilderment, "aren't they overreacting?"

Kunzite shifted uncomfortably. "Our people see things a bit differently than yours do," he began, but Endymion cut him off.

"They _are_ overreacting!" he shouted, leaping to his feet. "They're acting like I just signed all their death sentences! Do they trust me so little as their ruler? Do they really think I would do this if the Moon Kingdom wanted anything other than peace?" The others in the room stared at him, astonished by his angry outburst. The Prince breathed heavily, trying to calm himself. More quietly, he added, "Don't they realize that if the Moon Kingdom had wanted to destroy us, they would have long ago?"

Serenity reached up and took his hand, rubbing her thumb reassuringly over the back of it.

"Your Highness," Ami began, hesitantly stepping forward. "I think we're forgetting that things weren't so different in the Moon Kingdom when the Princess first told us what was going on. True, our people didn't openly rebel," she added when Endymion scoffed, "but that doesn't mean that they weren't unhappy or distrustful." She paused. "But all that changed when we met you and the Shitennou. If the people could just meet us, see that we pose no threat..."

"That's a brilliant idea!" Beryl exclaimed. Kunzite's eyes flew over to the noblewoman in surprise as she continued, "Your Highness, could not the Princess and her guardians attend our Solstice Festival three days hence, as honored guests? The whole kingdom will be there, it would be the perfect opportunity!"

Endymion looked at Beryl oddly. "I don't think that's—"

Serenity interrupted him. "I want to do it!" She looked up at the Prince imploringly. "Please, Endymion."

The Prince hesitated a moment longer, then smiled. "Of course," he agreed. "The people will love you as soon as they meet you, just as I did."

Beryl squealed and launched into a flurry of enthusiastic plans and suggestions. Kunzite watched her apprehensively for a moment as she prattled, before finally allowing himself to turn his attention to where he'd longed to place it for the last ten minutes: upon Sailor Mercury. He moved to her side, and murmured in her ear, "That was an inspired suggestion, Ami." She beamed up at him shyly.

Before either could speak further, Endymion broke in. "We'll have time for planning later, Lady Beryl. Right now, I'm sure Princess Serenity and the Senshi are exhausted from their journey and the shock of what greeted them upon arrival. If you'll excuse us, I think it's high time to track down my chief steward and have some rooms made up for them."

Endymion ushered the group out of the room. "I'm going to check on Nephrite and Jadeite," Zoisite said, making to excuse himself. Minako, however, hung back, pulling him aside as he turned to leave.

"Is this a good idea?" she whispered to him.

"Of course," he replied. "It fits perfectly into our plan. The Master will see when all this goes awry."

"But why didn't he want us going to the Solstice Festival?" Minako prodded.

Zoisite hesitated, avoiding her eyes. "It was nothing." Then he looked at her, smiling wanly. "Everything will be fine." He put his hand on her shoulder, for just an instant; then he strode away. Minako watched him go, absentmindedly holding the spot on her arm that his hand had touched.

And, from the shadows, Artemis watched them both.

* * *

Finally, the last of the crowd had dissipated. Nephrite felt exhausted to the bone. He'd never seen people so upset about anything in his life. He tried to think back to two months ago. Had he really been _this_ angry? It seemed unfathomable.

And if what Zoisite said was true, then...

"Nephrite," Jadeite's voice cut through his thoughts. Nephrite looked up, following his friend's gesture. Just inside the gates, he saw a familiar, shy face peeking around the corner. _Zoisite was right,_ a voice in the back of his mind confirmed. _They walked right into the middle of it_. Despite the worry that caused him, though, Nephrite felt a shock at how much he'd missed her.

"Well, don't just stand there," Jadeite admonished with a laugh. "Go talk to her!"

"We're still on duty," Nephrite protested, his face as red as his hair.

Jadeite laughed even harder. "We're done here. Zoisite said we could go as soon as we made sure the perimeter was secure."

"The side entrance, from the gardens..." Nephrite pointed out.

"I'll check it," Jadeite said, rolling his eyes. "_Go talk to her_." With that, the youngest general strode off, leaving the pair alone. Behind him, Jadeite faintly heard Nephrite mumble, "Zoisite said that you were here." A moment's pause, then, "I... I'm glad to see you." Silence followed. Jadeite snickered to himself as he entered the gardens. _Nephrite is hopeless._

Just as he reached the garden entrance, the palace's side door opened and a slim figure slipped out. "Lady Beryl!" Jadeite exclaimed in surprise as she turned to face him.

"Jadeite!" she cried in reply, startled. For a moment Jadeite thought she looked guilty, like he'd caught her doing something she shouldn't. But it only lasted for an instant, and then she was all innocence, beaming broadly up at him. "I'm so glad you're all right," she said. "I was so worried about you, out there with that mob. They sounded violent." She reached up, hesitantly, her fingers stopping just shy of his face. "You're not hurt, are you?"

Jadeite blushed like a schoolboy and found he could do nothing for it. "I'm fine," he blustered. "But... thank you for worrying. Would... would you like me to walk with you?"

Beryl smiled coyly, offering him her arm, which he enthusiastically took. As they walked, Jadeite said, "I heard what you did. Helping the Princess and the Senshi like that... That was very good of you, Lady Beryl."

A demure blush pinkened her cheeks. "I just wanted to be helpful."

"Yes, but..." Jadeite wavered, trying think of the right way to phrase it. "But why? After Prince Endymion made his announcement the other day..."

"Oh, that," Beryl said, waving her hand dismissively. "I was upset, but I thought about it, and what you said..." She stopped walking, letting go of his arm but turning to face him. "I realized... the Prince was never mine. Not really." She smiled up at him. "I want what's best for him. I want him to be happy. And if the Moon Princess is what makes him happy, then... I'm glad for them." Her voice sounded more disappointed than glad, though; a lone tear slipped out of the corner of her eye.

Jadeite spoke her name softly, his voice laden with concern. He lifted a hand to brush the tear off her cheek. Beryl reached up, catching his hand there.

"Jadeite, please," she murmured before he could say anything more. "I... I realized something else, too. I've been a fool. I couldn't see that what was best for me was right in front of me all this time."

Jadeite's heart swelled with joy; he leaned down, and Beryl met him halfway, rising up on her tiptoes to brush her lips against his. Their kiss was gentle, sweet, and agonizingly brief. She rested her head against his chest for a moment. "Please, Jadeite... just give me some time," she whispered into his jacket.

"Of course," he replied in a daze. She smiled up at him for a lingering moment, then turned and slipped through the garden gate and out into the town.

Jadeite watched her go, then turned back to the palace. About ten feet behind him, he was surprised to see Kunzite standing, staring at the young man in disbelief. Jadeite felt his face melt into a smug grin. "Told you," he said as he walked past Kunzite and back towards the palace.

Kunzite stood frozen for a moment, considering what he had just seen. _"I'm right for her, and I'm not going to give up until she sees that!"_ Jadeite couldn't have been right about that... could he?

Finally, Kunzite went on his way back to the palace. On the other side of the garden gate, Beryl visibly relaxed.

_You did well to distract him_, the voice whispered in Beryl's mind. _That man pays far too much attention to your actions. You must be wary of him._

Beryl smirked. "Jadeite is besotted with me. He'll be easy to manipulate."

_I hope, for your sake, that you are right about that. Now, about that other matter. The Solstice Festival was quick thinking._

"Of course," Beryl replied complacently. "Quick thinking is what I do best."

_But we will need more power to achieve it. The energy from the angry populace has been excellent. But if we are to follow through with your plan... I will need more. I am still weak from my imprisonment._

"Never fear, Queen Metallia. You will get your energy," Beryl assured the voice in her head as she melted into the crowd.

* * *

"You're sure the woman who helped you was named Beryl?" Nephrite asked for the third time. Dusk had set, and he and Ami were still conferring in the secluded corner of the palace courtyard, sheltered by a high wall. When they'd told each other about their respective discoveries, Ami had wanted to set out for Deukalion's temple right away to see for herself, but Nephrite would have none of it. After today's riot, within the palace walls seemed the safest place to be for someone who was sure to be _persona non grata _if her identity were discovered. And some facets of Ami's story were still weighing uncomfortably on Nephrite's mind—such as their unexpected benefactress.

"I already told you that it was! And you said Zoisite told you, too!" Ami giggled. Then she froze. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Nephrite sighed. "Maybe not. It's just that... the Beryl I know does not strike me as the type to help the Moon Princess so easily. She had... personal reasons to oppose the union."

Ami looked at him intently. "Maybe she had a change of heart," she suggested. "It's not unheard of, you know," she added pointedly.

Nephrite laughed. "You're probably right," he conceded. Then he sobered. "But still, just keep your eyes open, okay?"

The intensity of his gaze brought color to Ami's cheeks. "I will... worry-wart."

"I have a right to worry!" Nephrite argued good-naturedly. "You walked right into a den of snakes."

"I'm a soldier, you know," Ami pointed out. "I'm not afraid of a few snakes." She smiled, and kissed him lightly on his lips. "But thank you for your concern."

They were silent for a long while, surrounded by the song of crickets in the warm evening air, so familiar to Nephrite and alien to Ami.

At last Ami spoke. "Why didn't the Prince want us at the Solstice Festival?" she echoed Minako's question.

Nephrite sighed, looking away. "I'm sure Beryl didn't tell you what the Solstice Festival is."

"A celebration of the first day of summer?" Ami guessed.

Nephrite snorted. "Well, I suppose it is that, on top of everything else." He looked up at the moonless sky; the thin sliver of the waning moon wouldn't rise for some time yet. "The Solstice Festival is a celebration of the reign of King Deukalion." He paused, watching her astonished reaction. "I thought that would get your attention. Means something different, now that we know what we do.

"They hold it on the solstice since it's the longest day of the year. Least amount of moonlight." He exhaled. "That especially foes for this year. This year the solstice falls on the Night of No Moon."

Ami stared at him, speechless. Suddenly, Nephrite's reservations about Beryl's eagerness to "help" seemed well-founded.

Nephrite studied her face a few moments more before leaning over and kissing her gently on the forehead. "So keep your eyes open, okay?" he repeated.

Ami smiled at him, the kiss clearing her mind. "I will," she agreed, standing and taking his hand. "But I still have faith," she added. "I still believe that the idea will work, regardless of the circumstances under which it's held. We'll make the people of Earth see," she finished resolutely.

With a grin that felt optimistic at best, Nephrite rose, and hand-in-hand, the Princess of Mercury and the Third General of the Earth Prince entered the palace.

* * *

Rei shielded her eyes against the late afternoon sun. Beryl really hadn't been exaggerating when she'd said the whole kingdom would be in attendance for the Solstice Festival. The celebration was being held in a large common green in the center of town, and it was packed. Dense crowds of people milled between myriad stalls of goods, wares, food and sport. There were musicians, animals, untold activities.

The crowd seemed to grow even thicker as the day went on. Apparently, the real festivities were slated to start when the sun went down. Rei took a deep breath, trying to steady her shaking nerves. Ever since the Earth Prince and his guardians had come into their lives, she'd had trouble controlling her spiritual powers; but nothing had been worse than this day. The unfamiliarity of the Earthlings made it hard to get a reading on them, and in these mass numbers, it was downright overwhelming.

_At least they seem to have calmed down from earlier,_ Rei told herself. Now the group seemed to be a mixture of wariness to cautious interest. She supposed she had Lady Beryl to thank for that.

Her mind wandered back to that morning, when the festival was just beginning. Luna and Artemis had agreed to stay behind in the palace; only Endymion knew the cats' true identities, and they wanted to keep it that way, for now. The Senshi were, of course, attending as Serenity's guardians, and had opted to transform to be ready to protect the Princess if need be. But Serenity was dressed in traditional Earth garb, wearing the robe of Pyrrha, wife of Deukalion. It was customary for the Earth Queen to wear this dress every year at the festival, while the King would wear costume representing Deukalion. Endymion had taken over this role when his father had died, but it had been many years since Pyrrha's robe had been worn. Rei had seen the way Endymion beamed with pride when he saw Serenity in the beautiful gown he'd last seen his mother wear, and she knew he was imagining a joyful future for the two of them, a happily-ever-after where they lovingly celebrated holidays side by side.

The people of the Earth Kingdom did not seem to share in his joy, however.

When Serenity and Endymion had walked hand-in-hand out onto the platform at the head of the festival grounds that morning, there had nearly been a full-on riot. Seeing the Moon Princess dressed in the robe of their beloved Queen, Rei was certain they were going to openly rebel. At Minako's command, the Senshi moved to form a protective chain around Serenity.

But, suddenly, a voice rang out over the crowd. Beryl had given an impassioned speech, begging the people to give peace a chance. "The Moon Princess is trying to adopt the customs of our own world," she explained. "If you will just take this time to get to know her as I have over the past few days, I think you will realize that we truly have nothing to fear!"

To Rei's shock, the people had actually listened to Beryl's words. Later, Rei overheard some of the Prince's guards talking about how Beryl came from a respected, prestigious family, and that many people had expected she would be the one the Prince would ultimately marry. The fact that she publicly supported Serenity and Endymion's marriage seemed to carry a great weight with it.

But it seemed to Rei to have been more than just that. Beryl's words seemed to have an almost hypnotic effect on the crowd. They'd calmed immediately, almost unnaturally. Really, something about that girl just seemed off to Rei, but she couldn't put her finger on it. With her spiritual powers already confused by the unfamiliar Earthlings, and her general ability to sense anything, even regarding her own friends, seemingly so off-kilter the past few months... she didn't know if she could trust her own instincts right now.

"Look, Mommy!" a small child's voice broke through Rei's contemplation. "Why are those ladies wearing such funny outfits?" Rei looked down to see a young girl standing in front of the royal platform, peering up at her. The child's mother tried to silence her, instinctively trying to pull her away from the stranger.

Rei smiled, crouching to be closer to the little girl's level. "It's all right," she said soothingly. "This is my uniform. I wear it as the Princess' guardian."

"You're a soldier?" the child asked. When Rei nodded, the girl looked at her in awe. "Wow... we don't have girl soldiers on Earth!"

Rei furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, and was about to ask why when the child's mother pulled her away. As she disappeared into the crowd, the girl waved enthusiastically.

Rei sighed, rising to her feet and turning to Makoto. "So much for 'taking this opportunity to get to know us better,'" she said.

"Baby steps," Makoto reassured her. "The little girl seemed to like you, at least."

Rei had to smile at that. "Can you imagine? No female soldiers here?"

Makoto shook her head in disbelief. "Well, that will change once Earth enters the Silver Alliance officially."

Rei nodded, trying to suppress the strange feeling of uneasiness that was creeping over her ever more strongly as the sun sank lower in the sky. Something seemed wrong. _Why_ couldn't she understand what her powers were trying to tell her?

"At least the Princess seems to be making headway," Makoto was continuing, gesturing to Serenity, who was standing at Endymion's side, speaking to yet another high-ranking courtier. She'd been surrounded all afternoon, trying to answer all the nobles' questions about the Moon Kingdom, and what an alliance might mean for Earth. Egeria would have beamed with pride at how beautifully diplomatic the Princess had been today. Rei smiled in spite of herself. Serenity could be the perfect Princess when she _wanted_ to be. Endymion seemed to bring out the best in her.

The sun was just about to disappear over the horizon when the sound of a low horn rang out over the crowd. The Senshi whipped around in surprise. Endymion laughed. "Don't worry," he said. "It's the signal that our ritual is about to begin. When the sun sets, an archer at the top of that hill—" he gestured to a low mound of earth on the fairgrounds' edge, "—will fire a flaming arrow to the west, in memory of King Deukalion."

Serenity, eyes wide with curiosity, approached the edge of the royal platform and eagerly peered at the hill. She could just see the silhouette of a figure nocking his arrow.

A sudden, strong wave of nausea overwhelmed Rei, and she snapped alert, her eyes quickly scanning the crowd. She sensed something.

The archer drew back the string, aiming expertly towards the disappearing disc of the sun.

"Princess!" Rei screamed, hurling herself towards Serenity.

The arrow was loosed with a twang.

And at the same time, a second arrow was fired from the shadows, directly at the Moon Princess. Rei shoved Serenity aside just as its sharp point hit home, driving itself deeply into Rei's back.

All hell broke loose. The remaining three Senshi rushed forward, swarming around Serenity and Rei. They could barely hear themselves think over the panicked screams and shouts of the crowd.

"Princess are you all right?"

"I'm fine! But Rei!" Serenity shrieked, her voice breaking. Thunder rumbled in the distance. "Please, someone help Rei!"

Minako's ears were roaring as she knelt beside her friend. She was unconscious, but still breathing... for now. "We have to get her out of here!" Minako faintly registered the touch of a hand on her shoulder, and then out of the corner of her eye she saw Zoisite, sword drawn, rushing past the group, leaping off the platform and racing into the lightly falling rain. "Where are you going?" she wanted to scream, but she couldn't find her voice.

"Shitennou, push this crowd back! We have to get the Master and the Princess to safety!" Kunzite's shouted order cleared the haze from Minako's mind. She rose, drawing her chain belt from around her waist. Together, Makoto and Nephrite managed to lift the unconscious Rei, and Ami and Jadeite flanked the group as they quickly pushed their way through the pandemonium back to the palace.

As they fought their way through the mayhem, Rei's pale, unconscious face kept flashing through Minako's mind like a lightning bolt. Amidst her jumbled feelings, only one thought stayed clear as day in her mind.

_Whoever did this will pay._

* * *

Artemis found her sitting alone in a dark room, hours later.

When the Senshi had returned to the palace with a wounded and unconscious Rei, Luna and Artemis had nearly lost their ability to maintain a corporeal form. Although his first inclination had been to berate himself and Luna for letting them go to that ill-begotten festival unchaperoned in the first place, there hadn't been time for that; the Senshi were beside themselves with grief and Serenity was hysterical, begging the Ethereals to help her, heal her, do _something_ for Rei.

They'd lost no time. An Earth physician removed the arrow from Sailor Mars' body, but the wound was deep. Luna warned Serenity that she hadn't had enough training to perform very powerful healing spells, and it would be difficult to do anything without the physical presence of the Crystal. They were arguing about whether or not Rei could be transported in her weakened condition when Artemis noticed that Minako had slipped out. He'd been worried about her since then, but he couldn't leave the Princess until she'd done all the spells she could and had cried herself into exhaustion. When, at last, Rei seemed to be in a stable, albeit still unconscious, condition, and Serenity finally drifted off to sleep, Artemis finally felt comfortable leaving her in Luna, Makoto and Ami's care so he could seek out Minako.

He'd searched the palace before finding her here. It seemed to be a music room of some sort; a large harp stood in the back corner, and in the center of the room was a black grand piano. Minako was just sitting there, at the piano, staring numbly at the keys.

"Minako?" Artemis whispered, padding softly over to her on white paws and hopping up onto the bench beside her. "Rei will be all right. She's still unconscious, but... the power of the Crystal will heal her. Don't worry." She blinked mutely. Sighing, he placed a paw on her knee. "I heard them say Zoisite ran after the assassin. Surely the Shitennou must have caught up with him, and they'll bring him to justice." The Ethereal thought he felt Minako freeze for just a moment at Zoisite's name, but apart from that she showed no response. Minutes passed, with no sound save the murmur of rain falling outside.

"What's the matter with me?" Minako finally wondered aloud, her voice a hoarse whisper.

Artemis looked at her in concern. "Minako, this isn't your fault."

"It is," she argued weakly. A single tear escaped the corner of her eye. "She tried to tell me. All this time, she's been trying to tell me... everything... and I wouldn't listen to her." Minako drew a ragged breath. "She's the only one of us who's been able to see clearly, and nobody would listen to her. Maybe if we'd been paying attention, maybe if we'd been _doing our jobs_ to protect the Princess and not getting caught up in all this intrigue, all these secrets..." Her voice broke and she cried, "It's all my fault!" Tears were flowing freely now, and she buried her face in her hands.

"Minako..." Artemis tried to shift into a humanoid form so he could hug her, squeeze her hand, _something_; but the best he could do was form a shapeless patch of energy. His powers had been weakened more than he'd anticipated by the comet's departure; and now, on Earth, away from the Crystal, and on a moonless night with all the powers that supported him so agonizingly far away... he felt completely useless. So he just shifted back into the white cat and watched helplessly as Minako sobbed.

* * *

Ami closed the door behind her and sank back against it. The strain of the evening was too much to bear. How could this have happened? It all seemed to be going so _well_, and she'd truly believed... she'd truly believed that it was all going to be okay, that Earth and the Moon Kingdom would unite and they'd all live happily ever after. And then someone tried to assassinate the Princess.

_I was completely blind_, she thought in disgust. _After everything I read in Mariel's diary, after everything Nephrite and I had discovered... how could I have believed that everything was all right?_

She looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. A haggard Kunzite was making his way down the hall towards her. "Have you caught the assassin?" she asked as soon as he drew near.

He shook his head. "Zoisite ran after him right away, but the archer seems to have disappeared. Nephrite and Jadeite are out with him now, though, still searching."

Ami bit her lip, her eyes stinging. Kunzite watched her. "How's Sailor Mars?" he asked after a moment.

"Still unconscious," Ami responded.

"I'm sure she'll be all right," Kunzite started to say, but broke off as Ami burst into tears.

"It's all my fault!" Ami sobbed, her shoulders shaking. "It was my idea for us to try to meet the people! I put her in danger! And now, if Rei dies, it will be all my fault!"

"Ami," Kunzite said, putting a hand on her shoulder in concern. "You can't blame yourself."

"But I should have known—"

"Ami," he said firmly. "Stop this. Stop blaming yourself. The only person to blame is the assassin himself." She tried to break in, but he raised his voice, talking over her. "The only thing you're guilty of is having hope. You believed that we could find peace. You see the best in people, you see the inherent goodness of humankind. It's just your nature to believe that it was possible for our people to come together."

Ami had stopped crying now, and was looking up at him. He brushed her tears away with his thumb. "And it is possible. Sure, the day ended badly—because of one hateful person. But up until that point, you know what I saw? People coming together, learning to overcome their differences, being willing to try to reach out and understand each other. I saw a wonderful thing. Today was the first day that I really, truly believed that peace was possible. And it was all because of you." He rested his hand on her cheek. "You see the good in people, Ami. And that's why I love you."

Ami drew in her breath in shock as Kunzite leaned down and kissed her.

* * *

**Next chapter:** Kunzite's kiss turns Ami's world upside down, and she finds herself with a heartbreaking decision to make; Serenity learns about the Crystal's powers and limitations as she desperately tries to save Rei; and a trap is set for Zoisite and Minako.


End file.
